Superman
Brandon Routh/Warner Bros. Courtesy: Everett Collection
Superman is without a doubt the granddaddy of cinematic superheroes. Among his plethora of powers is the ability to fly. But how does he do that?
Consider Superman simply hovering above the city. According to Newton's Second Law, there must be some upward force to balance the downward force of his weight. Expressed mathematically: F – mg = ma = 0. But what could cause that upward force?
One possibility is that he is able to emit high-velocity streams of air through the pores of his skin. As he forces the air out of his body, according to Newton's Third Law, the expelled air must push back. And since Superman can survive in space, his lungs clearly aren't needed for respiration—maybe they're auxiliary air tanks.
Now I'm not one who watches the boob tube with a pad and red-ink pen, marking failing grades from an overabundant collection of [X]. I just don't do that. Not in Weber's Honorverse or in any Verse. Frankly, I don't know how people who do, get to enjoy the read, or the movie. I always give the benefit of the doubt.
When Superman catches Lois Lane, I always assume that the sudden stop doesn't kill her because Superman, being super and gentlemanly, takes care to quickly match vectors (beyond the naked eye) with Miss Lane so's it won't rip the clothes off of her exposing her frillies. Oh, also so's it won't kill her. My brother, when we were growing up "OH COME ON! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!" So I think I learned early on, from watching my brother suffer, not to be so judgmental.
Brother: They'd all flunk physics!
Sisters:
Would you just stop it and enjoy!Brother: They're superheroes sis, how can they be so dumb?!
Sisters: No ... they're jocks. Grade them on a curve!
Me:
But.
I rang my brother and told him I found a prob too, that I just cannot overlook.
"Oh really. After all the years of non-support? Okay, what is it?"
I'm watching Thor, the new movie see. Remember the first movie when Thor placed his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, on top of his brother Loki, to keep him from getting up? Everyone knows about the qualities of Mjolnir. None can lift that enchanted hammer save for Thor himself. So, while Loki was temporarily knocked out, from a fight with Thor (when the life of beautiful Natalie Portman is involved, people can get knocked out), Thor places the mighty Mjolnir on Loki's chest to keep him pinned to the ground should he regain consciousness. And he does. Right on Hollywood time, Loki awakens. Yet he can't stand up because of the enchanted hammer on his chest.
Cool. The mighty Mjolnir!
But.
Watching the latest movie. I notice Thor is fighting powerful beings. One of the beings punch Thor while he is holding the hammer and knocks him a considerable distance. How can Thor be moved with a punch when he's holding Mjolnir?
Cthia: What do you say brother?
Brother: Your sisters say "Grade on a curve."
Revenge is a dish best served ... by brothers.
Cthia:
****** *
What red marks [X] or failing grades have you given? Or do you just "grade a jock on a curve?"
They just need to activate the momentum transfer field portable generator (tm). Admittedly, they didn't exist, at least now, but if you could obtain one from the future, then any impulse outside the field would be retranslated to any point of the field at the speed of light (tm). 