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Rotating systems
I’ve noticed Chloe scratching herself in certain places on the balcony and in the garden for a while now. (For those who don’t know, Chloe is the cat queen who lets my wife and me live in her house). Other cats later came by and sniffed; all the signs were there: Chloe was setting up a meeting!
Now they are all there, behind a bush: Chloe on a stone and four other cats around, very careful of what is about to happen (in the cat’s manner: two are licking their fur, one is staring into space, and the other is pretending to be asleep).
The curved path
“Well,” says Cloe, “maybe someone will join us, but we’d better start. I’d like to discuss what happens when we’re in a rotating system.”
“Practical effects?” asks Cat #1.
Chloe regards him with a determined expression: “Firstly, knowing enables us to move more effectively. Secondly, consider the example of a pet carrier inside a car that is making a turn.”
“Nobody forces you; you can always go hunting for lizards.” This is Cat #3. Cat #1 responds by hissing.
“So, — says Chloe — the pet carrier with our friend inside, not being subject to forces, should always move in a straight line; we have seen what happens when the car slows down or speeds up, but what about when the car turns?”
