Now here is a question I've been wanting peoples opinions on for a while.. and the true answer to this has pondered me for a while. (A teacher told me to ask them a question, sarcastically. They thought the could answer all questions! So I asked this question:)

Is the world getting heavier, lighter, or the same?

Reasons for Heavier:
Children being born
Plants growing
New things growing and being made

Reasons for Lighter:
Gas being burned in cars and exhausts (Pollution)
People / animals dying
Plants dying
Things rotting
Things being burnt
Destroying of forests

So what is your opinion? Heavier, lighter, or about the same? Vote on the poll above, or vote by posting!

I think it's getting heavier, and based on my opinions it is because more kids are gaining weight. Kids these days are eating too much junk food and fast food.

Heavier, all the way. We're all getting fatter.
(But then you could also raise the point that it's lighter because a lot of people's heads are empty, and hollow :D, lol)

staying the same everyone should know matter can not be destroyed or created so it is impossible for it to change

staying the same everyone should know matter can not be destroyed or created so it is impossible for it to change
While that may be so, you're ignoring the fact that matter can be moved. How much outside matter is being attracted to the planet? How much matter is leaving the atmosphere for places unknown?

staying the same everyone should know matter can not be destroyed or created so it is impossible for it to change

Weight is different from matter.
I personally think the world is getting heavier because adults and children are eating more and heavier items are being created at a more rapid speed, like cars for example.

Heavier-
If the earth was millions of years old though, it would be falling! :P

u would think heavier.. i mean, Tons of ppl are born everyday.. but then again.. lots of ppl die everyday.. idk really ..

either way it doesn't matter, it's not like we're going to fall out of space

no both option?

- shrugs -

i say both

for the reasons you say

junky

at least i stopped my habit for mcdonalds xD..

ah.. pollution

ah we will destroy earth!

MUAHAAHAHA

what?

staying the same everyone should know matter can not be destroyed or created so it is impossible for it to change

I agree. Even in Eating, your just changing the food to a different form. And as for objects from outer space, that kind of balances out with the other stuff we put into space. So, It should be staying the same.

Heavier, because even though animals and humans and plants die, there remains still remain on earth, adding on to the weight of the earth. Also more people are born then are being killed (at least i think so)

I'm a firm beleiver in the Law of Conservation of Mass. While things are being created faster, they are just transforming one thing into another. No new Mass. People are being born each day, but it takes food to grow and live. That again is just transforming one thing into another. No new mass.

The only "valid" arguement for heavier in my opinion is the additional items being added to the world from outside (i.e. space). Since plants require light to grow, does that mean the light matter is absorbed by the plants? Then we are getting heavier. However, how much "stuff" are we sending into space to never return? Who knows.

So - my opinion is that the adds and the losses cancel each other out - hence "Staying the same".

Where's NASAMan when we need him?

I believe it's staying the same. Most of those things go through a cycle.

It is staying about the same.

I think it's getting heavier. Even if things are dying and rotting, it's staying in the Earth. Plus the thousands of babies (humans or animals) are being born every day. There probably isn't much, if any, leaving the Earth. Even thought the gases are leaving the ground, they are staying in the atmosphere. Then meteorites coming into the atmosphere, adding more matter. So I think the Earth is getting heavier.

Heavier.
If people are dieing everyday, does that mean their bodies are tossed off of the Earth?
Pollution is slowly making the world heavier.....
Also, the being born everyday thing, they've BEEN here for about 9 months, their birth means little.
Just my humble opinion. ~Al

Well i personally don't believe in global warming or any of that other stuff. If you look back, there have been record hot summers, and record cold ones too. Just because people say that the glaciers are melting, doens't mean anything. Yea there is a lot of pollution out there, but it's not changing the Earth at least not this fast. And the Earth has to change sooner or later it just so happens that it's doing it right now. So ya, that's just my opinion

Over the entire course of the Earth?

I'd say it varies per era...
When earth first started, it was pretty much empty
Then came the massive creatures.
And now humans and evolved animals roam the Earth.

Plus other factors like matter comming in from outter space.


But if you really think about it, we probably don't have that much of an effect on the Earth's mass. I mean comparing it to an apple, we're just dirt laying upon it's outer most skin.:hop:

But if you really think about it, we probably don't have that much of an effect on the Earth's mass. I mean comparing it to an apple, we're just dirt laying upon it's outer most skin.:hop:
Well, somebody'd better rinse us off before taking a bite! Who knows what kind of pesticides we might have!

:odd topic, i said heavier tho, how about you stitchmad?

I think it is staying the same because usually at least one person dies and another one is born on the same day. Those thoughts were from your reasons. And new things do happen but only once in a while.

Not to be mean or anything and i am not meaning to offend anyone when i ask this but, What kind of question is this??? not to be mean

I think you people are ignoring the fact that no matter how fat our people may get, that does NOT increase weight in the world.
Why?
Becuse the food was simply transferred into your body. The food was already there, and always had been, because of a little thing we call the "cycle" of life.
Nothin really goes away, it just changes it's form, or goes somewhere else.
Although, I'm not entirely sure about things that get cremated.

The food was already there, and always had been, because of a little thing we call the "cycle" of life.
Actually, here among Disney fans, we call it the Circle of Life.