Vulcan colonies and super-strength

[Sionnach Glic]

How different would technology evolve on a planet with say, 1.25 times the gravity of Earth?

Would planes have to move faster to stay aloft? Or buildings be slightly different due to materials not being strong enough? Would it have a noticable delay on how long technology takes to evolve?

Aircraft would have to be made different (indeed, depending on how strong the gravity is heavier-than-air flight may be impossible), as would any large structures such as bridges and skyscrapers.

[McAvoy]

Aircraft materials would have to be lighter for sure. Engine design would have to be more developed than the ones we had in early 20th century.

[Tyyr]

Higher gravity, more reliance upon things like bi-planes and tri-planes. More than likely the aerial revolution comes a bit later when engine tech can produce more power per pound.

[SomosFuga]

And what would happend with things like air density? a planet with higher gravity would have a denser and thicker atmosphere.

The life forms would be different even with little increase in gravity. A humanoid species (if possible) should probbably be shorter and bulkier with more muscle and bone density.

[Mark]

But in the Federation, almost all species look like they are from the San Bernadino Vally anyway, so....................

But seriously, I think we'd need to be talking about more than 2Gs to get that kind of evolutionary effect.

[Tyyr]

1.25 just isn't going to be a massive change. You might get the impression everything is a bit bulkier but overall it would be pretty familar. Heck, if you're willing to operate with a slightly reduced factor of safety most of our constructs could work just fine in 1.25G.

[Mikey]

Aircraft may not have to be too different. Depends on the atmospheric density. Denser air would produce more lift due to the Bernoulli principle for a given airfoil than in standard Earth 1 atm, therefore offsetting somewhat the greater gravity.

[Tyyr]

Denser atmosphere greater drag though. You still need more engine power.

[Mikey]

Denser atmosphere greater drag though. You still need more engine power.

True enough. Guess I wasn't considering all four forces at work.

[Tyyr]

Denser alone is sort of a wash. You'll likely be slower but in general flight should still be possible without any huge change in the engine. Denser with higher gravity means the same engine size is probably not going to cut it.

[Mikey]

Wouldn't have to propel the craft as fast, though - with a denser atmosphere, stall speed for a given aircraft would likely be lower.

[Tyyr]

That's what I was hinting at.

The problem is the gravity is working against you. While a denser atmosphere is helping create more lift for a given speed the drag is reducing your velocity and the gravity is making you need more lift. It's a double whammy. Just denser atmosphere doesn't work out to badly.