Now, space elevators are another topic. We don't have the materials right now but fun stuff like if one collapsed, it would wrap around the world a couple of times (IIRC).
the circumference of earth is 24k miles. a space elevator woiuld need to be up probably 22k-26k miles. i guess it depends if this wrap would follow a circumference line or a smaller one. nice problem to think about. thx.
well not if youre in its path when it falls heh
as someone mentioned larry niven has written about them, both in essays and in his fiction.