HG Wells gives the classic description of what might happen in The Man Who Could Work Miracles. If the Earth suddenly stopped turning, every loose object on its surface would continue to move at its original velocity, just as loose items in a car fly forward when you slam on the brakes. To quote Wells's description of the consequences: "Incontinently he was flying head over heels through the air at the rate of dozens of miles a minute... (His) clothes, heated rapidly by his flight, were already beginning to singe... (A) hurtling cow hit (a building) and smashed like an egg." Perthaps it's just as well that we can't perform miracles that conflict with physical laws. |