I am fascinated by the idea of a tug of war between Dover, UK, and Calais, France, with thousands of people on each side, 42 kilometres apart. Could a rope be made long, light and strong enough for this? (continued)
Michael Berkson
Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, UK
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The answers previously given to this tug-of-war question are encapsulated in the famous accidental verse from William Whewell鈥檚 Elementary Treatise on Mechanics (1819), chapter 4, problem 2: 鈥淗ence no force however great / Can stretch a cord however fine / Into an horizontal line / Which is accurately straight: / There will always be a bending downwards.鈥�
To answer this question 鈥� or ask a new one 鈥� email lastword@newscientist.com.
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