MM,
Good point. Did they?
Does everyone understand the oddity of results that this experiment generated?
The experiment consisted of two mine shafts being dug straight down to a
depth of at least 4250 feet, a mile apart from each other, and then a
straight tunnel being dug between the two shaft bottoms. Then these plumb
lines, with weights at the bottom to hold the lines straight, were suspended
in each of the shafts to a depth of 4,250 feet. The idea was that the
distance between the lines would be accurately measured between the top of
the lines and between the bottom of the lines, with the measurements being
compared. What was expected was that the lines would measure closer together
at the bottom than that of the top measurement since the wires and the
weights at the bottom of these lines were supposedly being gravitationally
pulled to the center of the earth. The theory was that the longer the lines
were, the closer they would get to each other at the bottom, until finally,
they would theoretically converge at the exact center of the earth.
However, when measured at the bottom in this experiment, instead of being
closer together as expected, the lines apparently were some 8 inches further
apart! This gave rise to myriad explanations and theories and has left us
with this puzzlement ever since. So, we are adding our theories to the list
in the effort to solve the plumbob riddle.
Isn't this fun?
Norlan