The Pink Panther: Can We Avoid Hurt?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of avoiding injury from a fall, inspired by a scene from a Pink Panther cartoon. Participants explore the theoretical implications of climbing a ladder or pushing off objects during a fall, considering both physics principles and practical limitations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that climbing a ladder could reduce the impact force upon landing, depending on the timing and the inertia of the object being pushed off.
  • Others argue that the Pink Panther scenario is purely fictional and not applicable in real life, emphasizing that the physics of falling does not support the idea of avoiding injury in such a manner.
  • A participant mentions the Myth Busters' experiment regarding jumping in a falling elevator, noting their conclusion that it is unlikely to reduce impact force significantly.
  • There is a suggestion that the effectiveness of such maneuvers may depend on the height of the fall and the specific conditions of the scenario.
  • One participant proposes that if the masses and timing are just right, it might be possible to jump off to a non-moving surface just before impact, although this is considered unlikely.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the practicality of avoiding injury through climbing or pushing off during a fall. Some maintain that it is impossible, while others explore the theoretical possibility, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the limitations of their discussions, including the dependence on specific conditions such as height and inertia, as well as the fictional nature of the original cartoon scenario.

asmani
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you mean can a ladder fall from such a height and be expected to land in the ground? i don't think so.
 
RK, I think he means climbing up to reduce the downward speed, thus reducing the hitting force at ground level

It would depend on the inertia of the object you're pushing off of (assuming you're in the same reference frame as it). If the object has a lot of inertia, pushing off of it right before you hit the ground will work against your hitting force a bit, but there's no guarantee it will be enough. If the object doesn't have much inertia (like if you pushed off of a penny) the penny would just fly away from you and you wouldn't move at all (within your falling reference frame, that is).

I've always imagined doing this in a falling elevator, pushing off right before it hit. I don't know if it would be enough, though. You could do the calculations though if you estimated the impulse of a human pushing off of a heavy object, assuming the person had already fallen some X feet in the elevator, gathering speed at 9.8 m/s per second. Maybe somebody is bored enough to try.
 
asmani said:
Hi all

Please watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVFGIle1Q70" of the pink panther, 1:40 - 2:00.
Can a similar thing be done in practice to avoid hurt?

No, it's just a cartoon.

Pythagorean said:
RK, I think he means climbing up to reduce the downward speed, thus reducing the hitting force at ground level

Except the PP was climbing down when the ladder hit... Good thing it's just a cartoon! :smile:
 
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berkeman said:
No, it's just a cartoon.
Except the PP was climbing down when the ladder hit... Good thing it's just a cartoon! :smile:

expectation dyslexia =/
 
Yeah, I think it is possible, too.

Not by climbing down, though, but by climbing up.

The thing is that you have to time it just right and you need another object to jump to other than the ground since you have to jump off before the ladder hits the ground. In other words, the center of mass of you and the ladder will continue to fall at the same rate whether the you climb the ladder or not...if you are fast enough (unlikely) and the masses are right, you could climb the ladder rapidly to the point where your speed is nearly zero and at that time jump off to a non-moving surface, like the roof of the building conveniently next to you.
 
The Myth Busters did this one, the elevator, not the ladder. Their conclusion was that a person couldn't jump upward with enough velocity to usefully reduce the impact. A ladder wouldn't have nearly enough inertia to slow you down, but you would speed up the ladder by climbing it.
 
Probably depends on the falling height. If you could model damage as a function of falling height, you might be able to find a critical starting height for which it's worth it.

With a stick ladder, there wouldn't be so much ladder climbing as mich as pushing the ladder down
 
DickL said:
The Myth Busters did this one, the elevator, not the ladder. Their conclusion was that a person couldn't jump upward with enough velocity to usefully reduce the impact. A ladder wouldn't have nearly enough inertia to slow you down, but you would speed up the ladder by climbing it.

And with that intelligent response, this cartoon thread is closed.
 

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