[dogscoff]

In the Culture novels, Banks had his "Orbitals" (very ringworld-like constructions) going round their stars in a planet-like orbit, spinning on their axes like a planet. Might as well just build a planet, IMHO...

IIRC, they were a few thousand miles wide and several million in circumference. That would mean that the side nearest the star (The night side) would be a million or so miles closer to the star than the day side. In 12 hours or so they would swap places because the thing is spinning. Would a million miles be enough to effect climate change? I suppose the fact that you are sheltered from direct sunlight would be partially offset by the fact that you are nearer to the source. Still, the stresses on such a construction from heat differences alone (without even considering gravitaional) would be unthinkable.

mind you,if you have the technology to bbring that much material ogether and make something out of it, you have the technology to overcome pretty much anything. Which is the whole point of the Culture novels. I'll shut up now.

Shutting up...

[ August 14, 2002, 15:41: Message edited by: dogscoff ]