@S1-A.ARPA:host.MIT-MC.ARPA (05/09/85)
From: Tony Guzzi <tonyg%uconn.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>
Rick,
I think the problem has to do with the opposite force that is generated when
a person pushes against something. The force is the resistance (friction) that
the fluid has to something moving through it. As I'm sure we are all aware of,
it's easier to move your hand through the air and through an equal volume of
water. It all boils down to Newton's laws of motion, in particular, "For every
action, there is an opposite and equal reaction." When it comes to moving in
zero-g, its the force that is applied TO the body you want to move that is
important, not the force applied BY the body. The more solid an object, the
more of the resistance/opposing force is returned. Brent Callaghan's and my
ideas are based on the idea of concentrating the force and increasing it. To
sum things up, swimming techniques don't work too well because air is to easy
to move through.
Tony Guzzi
<tonyg%uconn.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>