On 4/5/2019 at 7:57 PM, owl sees all said:

 

 

Everything is worked out now-a-days by computers. Unlike years ago when a navigator (mathematician) would work it out with a slide rule (calculating speed and direction), as they went along.

 

 

 

* but not from west to east.

Rubbish, in the old days they had to throw a knotted rope out the window to measure the speed. Sheeesh, man.

1 hour ago, sharktooth said:

Rubbish, in the old days they had to throw a knotted rope out the window to measure the speed. Sheeesh, man.

I put this to you, and all the other budding scientist members on TVFourm.

 

If you were to connect a string from exactly the north pole of about 1 km  long and tie the other end to a man (or a lady). Then get them to bunny-hop* in a big circle until they get back to the starting point. Do the same in the opposite way - being careful to do the bunny-hops exactly the same - back to the starting point. Make a careful recording of the times.

 

Just so to eliminate human error, the task should be repeated 100 times. 

 

We would find a consistent difference in the two times.

 

* Must be bunny-hops, or little jumps, not walking or running.