Mental Floss 2014-10-31T10:54:03+00:00 2007-07-09T15:45:02+00:00 2007-07-09T15:45:02+00:00 Gravity in Canada: Solved Becky

For years, the low gravity of Canada seemed just another benefit of its hard-to-pinpoint, happy-go-lucky image; however, scientists have recently gone public with an explanation of why, why Canada, do you boast lower gravity than the U.S.?

Researchers have puzzled for years over whether this was due to the crust there rebounding slowly after the end of the last ice age or a deeper issue involving convection in the Earth's mantle "“ or some combination of the two. Now, ultra-precise measurements taken over four years by a pair of satellites known as GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) reveal that each effect is equally responsible for Canada's low gravity. The work could shed light on how continents form and evolve over time.

Ever heard of post-glacial rebound? Well this is it. How wonderful if a lower gravity signal could be the result of emerging from a break-up! Until that equilibrium is reached, here are some low gravity bikes (aka "truck bikes") for your diversion...

July 9, 2007 - 7:45am