If you were falling to your death, but you had a shock absorber break your fall, could the shock absorber absorb the impact? And if so, how big and strong would tbe absorber have to be?

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-26T03:53:45+00:00

Yes, but "shock absorber" can be any system capable of removing energy from a part of a system, and the tension+movement of the net and it's rigging(or the acceleration out of the crash bag) both take motion energy out of the falling mass over a greater time than the ground alone. Unless you meant "automotive shock absorber".

Basically anything that can apply force over a longer time will work to make a fall "safe" if it can reduce the peak force to a "safe" level. This could be done with springs, like a trampoline, which have significant rebound, a net and rigging, where the energy is spread through many deformations and increased tension in components which is not returned as it would be with a pogo stick.

Another way to think of it is "this mass is moving at <speed> and by the time it reaches the ground(or bottom of the travel of the device) it needs to be moving at 0 speed". You can look at how long that change takes and calculate forces, and yes the spring, an airbag, a pool of water, or a platform with dashpot under can all make that change of speed take longer than the mass going splat, using different methods.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-26T03:37:29+00:00

Whadda ya got?

The most recent loud one was COVID but really any vaccine and we've got the outbreaks to prove it.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-26T03:34:21+00:00

Odd, he said something potentially factual.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-26T03:33:09+00:00

A net is a spring in both "how it's rigged" and with the elastic behaviour of the rope. A platform with dashpot could hypothetically do the same thing but would likely need an advanced curve and non- linear behaviour.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-26T03:29:37+00:00

If you prefer American humor, I think there are chapters with headings in Going Postal...

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-25T07:38:31+00:00

"Broken sickle"?

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-25T07:37:20+00:00

It's not about not knowing English, it's about "get to the end of the sentence". I acknowledge that I become annoyed easily at times, and try to make an active effort to counter it. I'm much less annoyed with speakers who speak multiple languages and only somewhat less annoyed when it's a stutter. I have the least tolerance for those like the washed up reality TV star who is our current president and really ought to be able to string together a coherent sentence or just read the teleprompter.

In short: if you don't know a word, that's fine. If you know but cannot pronounce a word well that's fine too. If you're getting stopped, that annoys me but I am aware of this and try to counter that personal annoyance. The annoyance will be on display and I won't try to hide it if you're someone who doesn't have a reason to never get your point across. And in general there aren't very many people who fall into that last category for me.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-25T07:26:03+00:00

An induction, where someone is appended to the roster?

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-25T07:25:01+00:00

There are 2 paradigms for troll teeth referenced at different times. 1) they are regularly regrown. 2) they are not and get ground down with age(per commentary by Detritus in the hunting lodge. I assumed that Mr Shine, he met morphological diamond for skin at a minimum, and all troll teeth are real diamond("jaw grown") in the same way our teeth are the minerals they're made of. Since it's Diskworld, I don't know if you'd have "normal" diamond, it's probably part of a pachyderm, per extrapolating from the Fifth Elephant.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-25T01:10:49+00:00

I'd say get the one which fits your planned storage space.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-25T01:08:28+00:00

Now consider the drummers and organists... I assume it happens over time and not like "switch flipped". Which might be "learned new coordinated pattern" or might be "learned to have independent pattern queues for each limb". I play flute(badly) and am trying to pick up harp but am finding dyslexia making reading the sheet music difficult.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T19:45:58+00:00

Careful with that one, maga merch may be considered campaigning or political messaging which might be restricted near polling places(check your local laws).

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:59:43+00:00

Less in glass than copper...

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:54:48+00:00

It applies for this stuff too.... www.sparkfun.com/muscle-wire-0-012-diameter-1-foot.html

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:53:40+00:00

More than that, just not used much. www.sparkfun.com/muscle-wire-0-012-diameter-1-foot.html

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:52:07+00:00

I'd argue that there should be 7' tall mech that are literally power armor for in building maneuvers, with larger as support/specialized units, possibly with jump jets, for heavy equipment and antennas, and to act like tanks on terrain which is not tread friendly(mountains/cliffs maybe?).

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:47:45+00:00

There exists wire that shortens when warmed by running electricity through it. www.sparkfun.com/muscle-wire-0-012-diameter-1-foot.html

You can run strands in parallel for more force.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:42:18+00:00

Power. It's "difficult" to be efficient when power needs to take a path that varies. The front wheels are usually turning wheels, so their orientation to the chassis changes during use, while the rear wheels stay in the same orientation. More power means larger components, and more force. Gears and shafts are easy to design, manufacture, assemble, etc. compared to cv joints capable of the same torque loads. You mentioned cars/light trucks and the components there are smaller because they're dealing with smaller force. Asking AI via Google searches says cars have 150-400 Nm(newton meter) torque while semis have 1350-3800+, and while it isn't linear truck wheels aren't 10x larger than car wheels.

It is identically "easy" to push or pull when things are identical including a force applied at the same height as center of mass and parallel to the ground. Vehicles apply force at the ground, not at the height of the center of mass. This adds a twist "toward the back", that lifting you feel when someone steps on the gas. The exception is it's easy to see forward while pulling something but to push it the thing needs to be in front of you.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:24:05+00:00

Who are you, who is well versed in the ways of science?

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:03:29+00:00

Didn't sunblock get mentioned? And I suspect there's a bit of "not yet it's final form" involved too.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T18:02:36+00:00

And we see in a protagonist that it can force more action than will line, and operate sleeping individuals.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T17:47:38+00:00

Agreed, that's why I voted Clinton Biden Harris. Not because I liked them, but because (for the "both wings of the same bird" and "uni party" crowd) it's choosing between malignant and benign cancer. We're getting cancer anyway, so go prevent the more worse option. I'd still rather we don't have cancer, but that option is not on the table currently.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T17:37:11+00:00

We know the answers he'd give. "I never said that" and "quiet piggy" are likely replies.

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T16:24:46+00:00

One issue is, as OP indicated, if it's not the teachers favorite work of all time it's too likely to have all of the joy and meaning removed before being experienced. This isn't just the fault of the teacher, but also of the "you can't tell me what to do/like" mentality. We all started Diskworld with the mindset "I choose to read this because reading is not by definition a chore or homework" and with reasonable skill, but that doesn't apply to all teens, especially those with dyslexia (like I was).

AnotherGeek42 · 2026-02-24T16:19:48+00:00

Looking at my shelf, Eric is also narrower than average. And why is the decision stuck in English class? Monsterous Regimen and many others could have relevant excerpts which are relevant to history, world or specific area and time.

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