←back to thread

Space Elevator

(neal.fun)
1773 points kaonwarb | 2 comments | 20 Oct 25 04:42 UTC | HN request time: 0.419s | source
Show context
cyode ◴[20 Oct 25 07:05 UTC] No.45640748[source]▶
A beautifully executed project here, I bought Neal a coffee.

What evolutionary advantage, I wonder, is there to Ruppell's griffon vulture flying at 11400 meters?

edit: units

replies(3): >>45640782 #>>45640807 #>>45645415 #
rkomorn ◴[20 Oct 25 07:12 UTC] No.45640782[source]▶
Not every behavior has an evolutionary advantage.

If anything, "evolution" filters out disadvantages (eg: can't survive because your neck's too short and that pesky giraffe is eating all the leaves you could reach).

Evolution kills what doesn't work.

replies(1): >>45640909 #
trinari ◴[20 Oct 25 07:37 UTC] No.45640909[source]▶
but every behaviour has a cost. In cast of flight altitude its energy and distance to food, water, mating zones.
replies(3): >>45640946 #>>45641151 #>>45641336 #
1. Cthulhu_ ◴[20 Oct 25 08:36 UTC] No.45641336[source]▶
Going up there's currents, going down... gravity. Sure it costs energy, but there's bound to be a tradeoff. Travel distance? Sight range?
replies(1): >>45656769 #
2. LorenPechtel ◴[21 Oct 25 15:08 UTC] No.45656769[source]▶
It costs something metabolically to be able to survive that high up.