Is It Faster to Fall Through the Earth or Orbit Halfway Around?

Explore a classic physics question comparing the time it takes to fall through the Earth versus orbiting halfway around it in this 32-minute video. Delve into the fascinating calculations and concepts behind this thought experiment, examining factors such as gravity, orbital mechanics, and the Earth's structure. Learn about the challenges of non-uniform density and how it affects the results. Note that while there was an initial programming error, an updated version with corrected calculations for non-uniform density is available for a more accurate analysis of this intriguing physics problem.

Is it faster to fall through the Earth or orbit halfway around?