So somewhere in the New Mexico desert, unknown and unmourned, lies an American relic, a piece of history like no other: the fastest man-made object ever. And I harbor the hope that, whether it’s found or not, our nation and the world of science will someday realize our error all these years and recognize that the Pascal-A Manhole Cover, not Voyager 1, is the fastest man-made object ever.”
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They say that Louis XIV had the inscription Ultima Ratio Regum cast into all the cannon of the French Army. It means “The Ultimate Argument of Kings,” and that always struck me as one of the most honest and up-front things any ruler or would-be ruler ever said. “We can dress it up prettier than this, but when it comes down to the unvarnished truth this is what it’s about: You’ll do as I say or I’ll send my goons to kill you.”
I thought about that for a long time. If there’s an ultimate argument, it seems only logical that there must be an ultimate answer. For years I thought the ultimate answer must be the bullets in my rifle, but it never seemed quite right. I’ve got bullets – he’s got frigging Cannon Balls. I mean, if there were three hundred million rifles throwing bullets at him, then maybe. But we all know that’s not going to happen. So if there’s an ultimate answer to his ultimate argument, it sure as hell ain’t bullets.
It finally came to me – and that’s when I abandoned the city and most of my stuff, and gave all that was behind me a good stiff Randian Shrug.
The ultimate answer to kings is not a bullet, but a belly laugh.
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OK, so if it was launched at six times escape velocity, at the “muzzle”, I’d like to know if there was a possibility that it actually made it out of the gravity well? Someone else can do the physics calcs, I’ve gotta go eat some cheetohs.
But seriously, sounds like it might well have made it out of our gravity well. It’ll be highly entertaining when they find it on Mars.
wow. now THATS interesting. At that speed, it would certainly have made it out of the Earths gravity well….IF it didn’t burn up from the friction of being driven through the atmosphere at such an ungodly speed. Now the atmosphere gets less dense the higher you go. And it wouldn’t have been in the atmosphere for long. At 45 miles per second, it would’ve been in the thick part of the atmosphere for about 1/2 second. And that’s probably enough time to turn even a 4 foot diameter four inch thick piece of steel to vapor.
Shame they didn’t make the steel plug thicker….
The author apparently did some math and decided that the cover didn’t escape, though it would have at least melted around the edges from atmospheric friction and “had some serious hang-time.” 🙂
As to how true any of that is, I will just sit back and admit I’m not entitled to an opinion.
The other thing to consider is that the column of plasma and other very hot things behind the steel manhole would probably have overtaken it almost as soon as it was free of the hole. THOSE gases/plasma would probably have been a million or so degrees…..
I’m betting it didn’t survive long.
Too bad, would’ve been a really kewl thing for some alien to find several hundred/thousand years from now.
Very cool story. Amazing that they didn’t accidentally blow up the world.
I bloody well love stories like that. Thanks, Joel!