Sadness! No Use for Beautiful Illustration - Sadness!

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers around the feasibility of lifting another person by their neck at arm's length, referencing cinematic portrayals and real-life physics. Participants debate the dynamics involved, emphasizing that a lifter must shift their weight to maintain balance, particularly when lifting someone significantly lighter. The conversation also touches on the artistic representation of such scenarios, with critiques of an illustration depicting this action. Key points include the importance of center of mass and the unrealistic nature of movie stunts.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics principles, particularly dynamics and center of mass
  • Familiarity with cinematic techniques and their portrayal of physical actions
  • Knowledge of artistic representation and its impact on viewer perception
  • Awareness of the differences between real-life strength capabilities and fictional depictions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physics of lifting and balance, focusing on center of mass calculations
  • Explore the differences between dynamic and static lifting scenarios
  • Analyze how film techniques create unrealistic portrayals of strength and lifting
  • Study artistic methods for depicting physical interactions in illustrations
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for artists, filmmakers, physicists, and anyone interested in the intersection of art, physics, and cinematic realism.

DaveC426913
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Well boo. Thread got erased out from under me.

Now I have no use for my beautiful illo.
 

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Art is in the eye of the beholder.
 
I'm afraid to ask what the tall shadow-guy is actually doing to the short shadow-guy.
 
Somethings wrong with you Dave. Why would you draw such terrifying art.
 
I am sorry Dave, I am afraid you can't post that.
 
What is it?

What does it depict?

EDIT: Oh, I see. The short guy is "in the air". You really should draw a floor in there somewhere.
 
For a brief few minutes a thread was posted last night, asking if a strong enough person could actually lift another person by their neck at arm's length.

One argument was that, if the guy was strong enough (a la Terminator) there's no reason it couldn't be done.

My argument was, even if they were strong enough, it couldn't happen the way it does in movies. No matter how string the lifter, they cannot do it without shifting their weight so as to put their feet directly below the centre of mass. They'd have to lean back significantly, or they'd have to put one foot out between the other guy's legs. And you never see them do this.
 
DaveC426913 said:
For a brief few minutes a thread was posted last night, asking if a strong enough person could actually lift another person by their neck at arm's length.

One argument was that, if the guy was strong enough (a la Terminator) there's no reason it couldn't be done.

My argument was, even if they were strong enough, it couldn't happen the way it does in movies. No matter how string the lifter, they cannot do it without shifting their weight so as to put their feet directly below the centre of mass. They'd have to lean back significantly, or they'd have to put one foot out between the other guy's legs. And you never see them do this.

Oh well then. Your illustration more than clearly demonstrates that. :rolleyes:



:biggrin:
 
i think it depends heavily on the relative size of the two. and the length of the feet.
 
  • #10
I guess Jaws doesn't lift James Bond that high after all:
jawsCustom.jpg


Oh well... I'm just glad he finds love:
worst-james-bond-movies-jaws-in-love.jpg
 
  • #11
DaveC426913 said:
My argument was, even if they were strong enough, it couldn't happen the way it does in movies. No matter how string the lifter, they cannot do it without shifting their weight so as to put their feet directly below the centre of mass. They'd have to lean back significantly, or they'd have to put one foot out between the other guy's legs. And you never see them do this.

True, but I think your drawing exaggerates the amount of leaning the big person has to do.

If the big guy is a sumo wrestler (265 kg) and he's holding Twiggy by the neck (40 kg), then the combined center of mass is only about 10 cm away from the sumo wrestler's center of mass. Assuming the sumo wrestler has an average shoulder height of about 1.4 m, then the sumo wrestler only has to lean back at about a 4 degree angle.

Of course, using a sumo wrestler and Twiggy probably exaggerates the situation as badly as your drawings do, but it also ignores the fact that the big guy's center of mass will be very close to being above his heels, allowing him to counter at least some of the torque of an off-centered center of mass with his feet. If the center of mass has to raise up for the sumo wrestler's body to rotate, then he can maintain his balance, so the combined center of mass doesn't have to be directly above the front of his heels.

I guess Jaws doesn't lift James Bond that high after all:

Notice how the big guy's butt settles backward just a bit though. His legs aren't straight.
 
  • #12
physics girl phd said:
I guess Jaws doesn't lift James Bond that high after all:
jawsCustom.jpg

The longer I look at the picture, the more I think James loves Jaws.

But perhaps that's just a light play.
 
  • #13
DaveC426913 said:
For a brief few minutes a thread was posted last night, asking if a strong enough person could actually lift another person by their neck at arm's length.

One argument was that, if the guy was strong enough (a la Terminator) there's no reason it couldn't be done.

My argument was, even if they were strong enough, it couldn't happen the way it does in movies. No matter how string the lifter, they cannot do it without shifting their weight so as to put their feet directly below the centre of mass.

You are forgetting the fact that this is a problem about dynamics not statics, unless the lifter is wants to hold the liftee in mid air for a long time.

I saw this done "live" years ago, when I was an intern. There was another intern who was a 5 foot tall wimp, and we had a 300 lb gorilla of a supervisor who was a stickler for things being "done right". The wimp had committed some heinous crime like punching some computer cards using the wrong colored cards. The supervisor got frustrated trying to shout at somebody who was 18 inches shorter than he was, so he got hold of the wimp's shoulder blades from above, picked him off the floor, and sat him on top of a 4-drawer filing cabinet so he could look him straight in the eye and shout at the same time.

Political correctness has taken all the fun out of working in industry these days :smile:
 
  • #14
AlephZero said:
You are forgetting the fact that this is a problem about dynamics not statics, unless the lifter is wants to hold the liftee in mid air for a long time.

You're talking about a completely different scenario. There's no question that a very strong person can pick up another person and put them on a shelf.

I'm talking about when they literally lift them straight off their feet and hold them there, toes dangling, thus:
[PLAIN]http://media.offbeatmama.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2011/04/darthvaderchoking.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #15
BobG said:
True, but I think your drawing exaggerates the amount of leaning the big person has to do.
Of course it does.That' s the point of illustrating a concept.


BobG said:
Notice how the big guy's butt settles backward just a bit though. His legs aren't straight.

Notice how it's a Hollywood stunt. My money's on an orange crate under Moore's feet.
 
  • #16
physics girl phd said:
I guess Jaws doesn't lift James Bond that high after all:
jawsCustom.jpg


Oh well... I'm just glad he finds love:
worst-james-bond-movies-jaws-in-love.jpg

My oldest brother had dinner with Richard Kiel once. He's a Bond nut.
 
  • #17
Newai said:
My oldest brother had dinner with Richard Kiel once. He's a Bond nut.

And what did Richard have? The aircraft cable pasta? :biggrin:
 
  • #18
DaveC426913 said:
And what did Richard have? The aircraft cable pasta? :biggrin:

I remember that! Actually, all I heard was that Kiel likes to talk. He really likes to talk.
 

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