Heh, this is getting interesting :-)
First, reply to Alan:
What I wrote was, if gravitational force were not obeying the inverse squared law (1/r^2), the motion would have been spiral.. which is contrary to observation. Observational results (measurements) suggest orbital motion of planets are along ellipses. Which means the gravity obeys 1/r^2 (inverse square) law.
Using that law, today we can calculate the positions of planets with sufficient accuracy, which is the proof the concept is valid.
To achieve better accuracy (and to explain fully the precession of Mercury orbit) we have to use General Relativity.
Interesting fact is, GR does predict the spiral motion of two bodies in extremely strong gravitational field (for example two neutron stars or two black holes in close orbit), and that motion results in crash or fusion. This kind of motion I called (possibly clumsy) "closed spiral" because orbital distance becomes smaller with time... my term "open spiral" suggests orbital distance increasing with time).
Please note, systems like the one described above were observed, and the measurement results of decreasing orbital distance exactly follows the GR.
However, for some reason I feel this is not the proof for whatever you are trying to suggest.
BTW, have a look at this link, discussion of Arcimedean spiral:
https://gamedev.stackexchange.com/qu...constant-speed
To Spaceout:
?
Well, of course I agree, the science is not democracy.
It is not democracy precisely because the outcome is not based on opinions, wishes/feelings and power games between individual scientists (of course there are always elements of those factors because science is human activity, but we have peer review process in place to eliminate those un-scientific factors).
Science is based on facts, than can be confirmed, measured and obtained (at lest in theory) repeatably by anyone whenever needed/wanted.
What was my "insulting" demand?
And I do not understand your suggestion ("practice what you preach"), could you please be more specific and let me know exactly where I do not practice what I preach? I do not preach.. I am just trying to guide this discussion so we could come to result we can all agree on.