- #31
djh101
- 158
- 5
I like how Mythbusters goes through the effort of testing myths that could easily be busted just by writing a few equations on a whiteboard.
If you had to jump from very high, what would you use as a parachute?
Click For Summary
Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around hypothetical scenarios of jumping from great heights and the various objects or strategies participants might consider using to slow their descent or break their fall. The conversation includes a mix of humor, personal anecdotes, and speculative ideas, touching on both practical and whimsical approaches.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
- Humorous
Main Points Raised
- Some participants suggest using everyday objects like curtains, blankets, or jackets to slow descent, while others express skepticism about their effectiveness.
- A few participants humorously propose using chickens or acquaintances as makeshift parachutes.
- One participant shares a personal experience of attempting to use an umbrella as a parachute, noting its failure.
- There are discussions about the practicality of parachutes and whether office buildings should stock them for emergencies.
- Some participants mention the idea of using large air mattresses or chairs to break falls, questioning their effectiveness compared to traditional parachutes.
- A historical anecdote is shared about a person who survived a fall from 18,000 feet, emphasizing the role of environmental factors in survival.
- Several participants engage in light-hearted banter about the absurdity of the scenarios presented, while others suggest more serious considerations of physics involved in falling.
- One participant proposes a theoretical strategy involving a heavy metal ball to alter the dynamics of the fall.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally do not reach a consensus on the best approach to take when jumping from a height. There are multiple competing views and a mix of serious and humorous suggestions, leaving the discussion unresolved.
Contextual Notes
Some contributions include speculative ideas that challenge conventional thinking about falling and safety, but the discussion remains informal and lacks rigorous scientific analysis.
- #32
jobyts
- 226
- 60
In fact, when you are close to the ground, throwing the chair to the ground with all the force helps by a tiny bit. (by the third law)
- #33
jobyts
- 226
- 60
I think I have a strategy here. Please let me know if this will work at least theoretically.
Hold a heavy metal ball (preferably as heavy as you), like the one used in hammer throw. While you fall down, keep it rotating vertically, such a way that the upward swing of the metal ball is barely enough to make a full rotation, the downward part is as fast as you can, so that you go upwards.
When you are close to the ground, the ball hits the ground first, and you are in the top position.
Hold a heavy metal ball (preferably as heavy as you), like the one used in hammer throw. While you fall down, keep it rotating vertically, such a way that the upward swing of the metal ball is barely enough to make a full rotation, the downward part is as fast as you can, so that you go upwards.
When you are close to the ground, the ball hits the ground first, and you are in the top position.
- #34
djh101
- 158
- 5
Assume you aren't moving and find out how much your velocity would change in that scenario. Then subtract it from how fast you will be going right before you hit the ground. Jumping directly off of the ground is about as much force as you will get to propel yourself from your body alone, and that will get you going... 5m/s? So that should take you from 100m/s to 95m/s when falling.
By conservation of linear momentum, jumping off of a non-moving body (the earth) will give an upper bound of propulsive velocity. Since the chair or shotput are changing their velocity as well, your change in velocity will be less.
By conservation of linear momentum, jumping off of a non-moving body (the earth) will give an upper bound of propulsive velocity. Since the chair or shotput are changing their velocity as well, your change in velocity will be less.
- #35
tridianprime
- 102
- 3
A smoking jacket and pipe. So I could die in style
- #36
consciousness
- 132
- 13
An RPG launcher. Fire it down and hopefully the recoil will save me if I time it properly 
I might die from the blast though.
I might die from the blast though.
- #37
tridianprime
- 102
- 3
consciousness said:An RPG launcher. Fire it down and hopefully the recoil will save me if I time it properly
I might die from the blast though.
Hmmm, let me think about this.
*four years and a PhD later*
...it wouldn't work!
Similar threads
- · Replies 18 ·
- · Replies 4 ·
- · Replies 3 ·
- · Replies 20 ·
- · Replies 7 ·
- · Replies 142 ·
High School
Relativistic simultaneity and effects on time
- · Replies 9 ·
- · Replies 1 ·
- · Replies 16 ·