XPost: rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: david@edenroad.demon.co.uk   
      
   On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 14:56:37 +0000, Russell Wallace wrote:   
      
   > Is there any way to change that (I mean, reasonable ways, i.e. without   
   > expending propellant or using huge gyroscopes etc)? For example, Earth's   
   > axis precesses every 26,000 years IIRC; how does that square with   
   > conservation of angular momentum? Is there a way a habitat's axis could be   
   > made to "precess" through a full circle every year?   
      
   Don't know if this would work, but...   
      
   Big pipes on the exterior containing fluid with one-way valves every so   
   often.   
      
   Sunlight on the sunward-facing side heats up the fluid, which expands the   
   only way it can, through the valves, providing net force in other   
   direction, habitat rotates exposing new fluid, fluid now in shade cools,   
   sucks fluid from other side.   
      
   Net result, sunlight into rotation.   
      
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