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Superhero remedial physics

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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Joat42   » Tue Nov 04, 2014 9:02 am

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Imaginos1892 wrote:How can the Flash get enough traction to overcome air resistance, or change direction? Why doesn't a shockwave and sonic boom destroy everything within 50 meters of his path?

Why doesn't everyone he speeds away with have a broken neck among other things.

I watched something recently where someone could move incredibly fast (may have been the flash), but he propped the heads up of those he speed away with so they wouldn't break their necks. I can't remember what is was though. Still, the G-forces would be tremendous so any ordinary persons subjected to these forces would probably split open like a ripe melon.

What bothers me most about "superhero physics" and also "Hollywood physics" is when they use in your face handwavium (a la The Core, Armageddon) with zero believability. They could at least try to get the physics somewhat correct.

Of course, in some ways you can always look upon the powers of superheroes as a form of magic which means physics as we know it isn't involved. :D Just spare me the stupid Hollywood physics.

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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Fireflair   » Tue Nov 04, 2014 6:26 pm

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The most recent movie with some one running at high speed and holding some one's neck was X-Men: Days of Future Past. Quicksilver holds Magneto's head when he helps him escape from under the Pentagon. Eric asks why the man is holding his head and neck, and Quicksilver explains that it is to prevent his neck from breaking.

For most of the shows, X-Men where it is obviously so much hocus pocus, to The Core which is handwavium of an extreme nature, I just try to enjoy the story and let the science go by.

I know a lot of people have problems with a lot of the 'real' aspects of shows. And I do have my own shows I outright refuse. Like trying to watch practically any Navy movie is for me excruciatingly painful. They have all these 'advisers' available to them (And often listed in the credits) yet routinely screw up everything from basic rank and uniforms to physical lay out of ships. Never mind what people actually do or how the organization would actually respond to whatever the threat/situation is. Shows like Battleship, Last Ship, Last Resort, etc. I just can't watch them, generally speaking. When I do, I just have to let go the reality of the local they are trying to portray.
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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Bruno Behrends   » Wed Nov 05, 2014 2:13 am

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Applying Occam's razor I think the simplest theory that explains all the weird capabilities of the superheros is that they live in a simulation and never realize it.

Kind of true too :P
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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Invictus   » Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:29 am

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"When you talk about damage radius, even atomic weapons pale before that of an unfettered idiot in a position of power." Sam Starfall
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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Thucydides   » Wed Nov 05, 2014 10:39 pm

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Re: advisors.

I knew a guy once who worked as a "military advisor" for a low budget movie. While the guy in question was fairly sharp and switched on (as well as a real subject matter expert, having retired from the Canadian Army as a senior NCO), what generally happened was he would set up the scene, showing the actors where to stand, how to move, where to go to cover etc., then the director would ask for people to be closer together so they would get in the scene, ask for them to get out from o\under cover so they could be seen, tell the actors to "spray bullets" for a better effect etc.

Our man tried to protest, but was silenced with the simple admonishment from the producer; "you want to get paid, don't you?"

Now I suggest this is the case in maybe 80% of films, movies etc. An honourable mention is the producers of the Michael Mann movie "Heat", where ex SAS soldier Andy McNabb is credited with being the technical advisor, and the actors were given an intensive "live fire" training course in how to use firearms at the LA County Sherriff's range (I might not have remembered where the training took place, but they were using real firearms and live ammunition; an excellent way to learn how to respect your tools).

So when you watch the latest war flick, just remember that spectacle trumps accuracy every time.
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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by DDHv   » Thu Nov 06, 2014 11:28 pm

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An interesting thought. In the book of Revelation, chapter 11, verses 3>12 in the Bible, there is one scene when the Antichrist overcomes two prophets of God and puts their dead bodies on display. The whole world looks at them and celebrates. Then after three and a half days, God spoils the celebrations by resurrecting them and taking them up.

I wonder: telstar, internet, video phones, and other world wide communications?
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Smart mistakes go on forever
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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Tenshinai   » Sun Nov 09, 2014 12:46 pm

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Joat42 wrote:Why doesn't everyone he speeds away with have a broken neck among other things.

I watched something recently where someone could move incredibly fast (may have been the flash), but he propped the heads up of those he speed away with so they wouldn't break their necks. I can't remember what is was though. Still, the G-forces would be tremendous so any ordinary persons subjected to these forces would probably split open like a ripe melon.


How to kill a super speedster(also called Flash even if very much not the same):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wdvzFUjoEQ
Darker than Black isn´t one of my favourites, but they do deserve a thumbs up for using surprisingly much realism in their highly "supered up" universe.


What bothers me most about "superhero physics" and also "Hollywood physics" is when they use in your face handwavium (a la The Core, Armageddon) with zero believability. They could at least try to get the physics somewhat correct.

Of course, in some ways you can always look upon the powers of superheroes as a form of magic which means physics as we know it isn't involved. :D Just spare me the stupid Hollywood physics.


Oh yes please!



Imaginos1892 wrote:In the first Hulk movie, there is a scene where he grabs an M-1 Abrams tank by its cannon barrel, whirls it around and throws it about half a mile.

I don't care how strong he is, he's not heavy enough to do that with a 70 ton tank.


One of many reasons i think the recent Hulk movies suck. Quite liked the earlier tv-series.



Daryl wrote:At a similar vintage the A Team could regularly go head to head with lots of baddies at close range, both lots armed with full auto weapons yet no one ever got shot.


Well, that kind of thing HAS happened for real so at least it´s not completely impossible.

Unlikely but not unrealistic.


Cthia wrote:What red marks [X] or failing grades have you given?


Too many.

The single most common is probably gun physics. If someone can fire a gun without getting thrown by it, then someone that gets HIT by the projectile, AFTER the energy losses in between, most certainly will NOT go flying from the hit.


Counter question however, can you think of anything that others "redmarks" but is actually realistic?

One simple answer to that, try watching some of the more outrageous parkour practitioners and notice that even if most movies fake it, a surprising amount of "tricks" can actually be done for real.
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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Thucydides   » Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:59 pm

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Mythbusters have done a lot of Hollywood myths, and the number which turn out to be real is vanishingly small. Makes you wonder where the Hollywood writers are getting their inspiration, since they don't actually see or hear of these things in the "real" world...
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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Annachie   » Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:05 pm

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The one that perpetually annoys me is tracing a phone call.
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Re: Superhero remedial physics
Post by Imaginos1892   » Sun Nov 09, 2014 11:31 pm

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Tenshinai wrote:The single most common is probably gun physics. If someone can fire a gun without getting thrown by it, then someone that gets HIT by the projectile, AFTER the energy losses in between, most certainly will NOT go flying from the hit.

The shooter is ready and braced for the recoil (well, if he's got any sense) but the target is hit by surprise (again, if the shooter has got any sense). High power rifle bullets carry anything from 2,000 foot-pounds of energy to 12,000 (.50 BMG). That can be enough to knock you on your ass if you're not ready for it. Of course Hollywood exaggerates, but there is a nugget of truth in there somewhere.
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Firepower is not a thousand bullets that miss - it's one bullet that hits.
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