About 3 months

[yilduz]

Okay I went with 7913 miles thick for the Earth (the average between the thickness at the equator and the thickness from pole to pole). I assumed 30 inch steps at 120 steps per minute.

7913x5280x12= 501,367,680 inches, or 16,712,256 steps.

120 steps in one minute, so 139268.8 minutes, or 2321.146 (repeating 6) hours.

That comes out to 96.714 (repeating 4) days, or about 3 months, to walk through the Earth to the other side.

So... who's with me? We'll need some construction trucks to dig the hole first, though.

[North]

But your not factoring for all the starbucks along the way.

[yilduz]

But your not factoring for all the starbucks along the way.

Coffee =

[reorith]

But your not factoring for all the starbucks along the way.

you don't have to worry. if there is more than one person in a five mile radius, a starbucks will spontaneously form.

[DamnedIrishman]

So... who's with me? We'll need some construction trucks to dig the hole first, though.

LET'S GET THIS MOTHERFRIGGING SHOW ON THE ROAD, BABY!



HELL YEAH!

[RandomNPC]

what is that, mre importantly how do i obtain two? (for jousting them)

[averagejoe]

Why walk? It's easier just to fall.

[DamnedIrishman]

what is that, mre importantly how do i obtain two? (for jousting them)

Why, it's a custom-built excavator, of course!

This is the largest digging machine (or trencher or rotating shovel) in the world. It was built by Krupp and is shown here crossing a road in Germany on the way to its destination, an open air coal mine. Although at the mine the treads are unnecessary, it was cheaper to make the machine self-propelled than to try and move it with conventional hauling equipment. Some factoids:
The machine is 95 meters high and 215 meters long (almost 2.5 football fields in length)
Weight is 45,500 tons (that's equivalent to a bumper to bumper line of jeeps 80 miles long)
It took 5 years to design and manufacture at a cost of $100 million
Maximum digging speed is 10 meters per minute
Can move more than 76,000 cubic meters of coal, rock, and earth per day

So: how fast could it dig through?

[Thajocoth]

A hole deep enough would destabilize the planet's internal pressure. The resulting expanding interior of the planet would crush you.

But you'd hold the world records for "cause of the worst earthquakes in human history" and "deepest remains of a biological entity in the Earth" Millenia later, confused archaeologists will worship you as proof that life started in the mantle.

[DamnedIrishman]

A hole deep enough would destabilize the planet's internal pressure. The resulting expanding interior of the planet would crush you.

But you'd hold the world records for "cause of the worst earthquakes in human history" and "deepest remains of a biological entity in the Earth" Millenia later, confused archaeologists will worship you as proof that life started in the mantle.

OBVIOUSLY you'd reinforce the shaft with advanced phlebonium-coated girders.

[yilduz]

Why, it's a custom-built excavator, of course!



So: how fast could it dig through?

About 2.4 years... but if we had one on each side, going toward each other... about 1.2 years.

So, get everything set up and I'll meet you in 14 months.

[DamnedIrishman]

About 2.4 years... but if we had one on each side, going toward each other... about 1.2 years.

So, get everything set up and I'll meet you in 14 months.

Or unless we built a BIGGER ONE!

EDIT: Actually, since that one took five years to design... it'd probably be faster just to get two on opposite sides...

[yilduz]

Or unless we built a BIGGER ONE!

You're a GENIUS! For that reason, I put you in charge of the project.

EDIT: Actually, since that one took five years to design... it'd probably be faster just to get two on opposite sides...

Fair enough. When can we get it ready?

[Ashen Lilies]

Why walk? It's easier just to fall.

Except if we bring gravity into this, you'd fall half the way, and be forced to climb the rest of the way. I think it'd be easier just to walk.

[Flickerdart]

But if we start two more in the middle and have them dig out, it'll only be 7 months!

[yilduz]

But if we start two more in the middle and have them dig out, it'll only be 7 months!

But how do we get them into the middle without digging down first?

I originally thought "teleport them," but that doesn't work because then when they're digging, they'll just push the dirt right behind them, leaving it right where it was... unless... we teleport the dirt it digs as well!!

[DamnedIrishman]

But if we start two more in the middle and have them dig out, it'll only be 7 months!

As much as I admire this logic, I see a number of flaws with it.

However... if we broke through the crust, it'd be much easier to get through the mantle as it's liquid. If we just dropped a weight made of a material denser than magma into the hole which was internally refrigerated, then it would effectively sink a tunnel by displaced the magma then hardening it! We'd need to keep the tunnel refridgerated too though.

[yilduz]

As much as I admire this logic, I see a number of flaws with it.

However... if we broke through the crust, it'd be much easier to get through the mantle as it's liquid. If we just dropped a weight made of a material denser than magma into the hole which was internally refrigerated, then it would effectively sink a tunnel by displaced the magma then hardening it! We'd need to keep the tunnel refridgerated too though.

This is why you're in charge of the tunnel digging.

What can we use to keep it cool, though?

[DamnedIrishman]

This is why you're in charge of the tunnel digging.

What can we use to keep it cool, though?

Well, if you pumped cold air through the shaft then that would work. Plus ventilation is kindof necessary to survive.

We do reach a problem when we hit the actual core though... would it be faster to dig through, or tunnel around it?

[yilduz]

Well, if you pumped cold air through the shaft then that would work. Plus ventilation is kindof necessary to survive.

We do reach a problem when we hit the actual core though... would it be faster to dig through, or tunnel around it?

We're going straight through, that's the point of this whole thing.

So we can create ducts as it tunnels and push clean, cool air through. This could be a fairly large project.

[Mando Knight]

Obviously, this would all be a simpler matter if we just had the drill that would pierce the heavens...

[DamnedIrishman]

So we can create ducts as it tunnels and push clean, cool air through. This could be a fairly large project.

You don't say...

[yilduz]

You don't say...

I know. It was difficult to come to the realization, myself... but it's a realization that cannot be denied.

[PirateMonk]

I originally thought "teleport them," but that doesn't work because then when they're digging, they'll just push the dirt right behind them, leaving it right where it was... unless... we teleport the dirt it digs as well!!

That's another good point: what do we do with the material we dig out? Fling it into the sun? Bury the world in it to maintain the same mass?

Also, I'm fairly sure the mantle is solid.

[DamnedIrishman]

That's another good point: what do we do with the material we dig out? Fling it into the sun? Bury the world in it to maintain the same mass?

Also, I'm fairly sure the mantle is solid.

Is it? Damn. Break out the giant diggermajigs again!

As to the material? That's easy:

Step 1: Extract material
Step 2: Process
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Profit

... which funds the tunneling, naturally! Maybe rich persons will decide that a private island isn't them, they want their own mountain range.

Actually, if we dropped it in the Pacific we could build our own country.

[yilduz]

That's another good point: what do we do with the material we dig out? Fling it into the sun? Bury the world in it to maintain the same mass?

Also, I'm fairly sure the mantle is solid.

We're going to use it to build an island in the Pacific. Where have you been?


edit:

Actually, if we dropped it in the Pacific we could build our own country.

This guy knows!

[Shraik]

Well, once you reach the middle, wouldn't the gravitational forces be an issue, because doesn't gravity go down no matter where you are, so once you reach the middle, wouldn't the pressure from the gravitational forces crush you?

[DamnedIrishman]

We're going to use it to build an island in the Pacific. Where have you been?

And we shall call it Yilduzonia!

Well, once you reach the middle, wouldn't the gravitational forces be an issue, because doesn't gravity go down no matter where you are, so once you reach the middle, wouldn't the pressure from the gravitational forces crush you?

I don't think so. Gravity is a constant if mass doesn't change - if anything, the force would get weaker as we removed the material.
Not a physicist - I may be wrong.

[yilduz]

And we shall call it Yilduzonia!

I like the sound of that.

I would take the position of Emperor, of course. You can be a king, though.

[DamnedIrishman]

I like the sound of that.

I would take the position of Emperor, of course. You can be a king, though.

I don't want to be any form of ruler, dear sir: just set me up with good times and plenty of concubines, and I'm quite happy as I am.