Monolycus
Fanatic   Posts: 580 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 6/8/2003 at 02:27 AM |
I've checked several archives and run through five search engines and there
does not seem to be any data available about the number of bounces (record
or average) a person may expect after their parachute fails to open. The
closest information that I have found on the topic comes from a page on how
to survive an airplane crash:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A473753
But this merely assures us that a person will, in fact, bounce (we had
already assumed so) and estimates one's chances of surviving an event like
that at around 1 in 50. More data are obviously needed here, but the
Falling Out Of The Sky Union has refused to provide more labor.
There was also a nifty article about reserve parachute safety:
http://www.para-excellence.co.uk/reserves.html
But this also doesn't provide us with much more information than could be
deduced from dropping things, except to caution you to prepare to panic in
the event that your chute fails. I've made a note of this advice.
The final resort would be to ask the staff at www.thestraightdope.com, but
I doubt that they would have any more access to raw data on this very
perplexing question. I suspect that the record holder has passed unsung
through the annals of history, and would suggest that there does seem to be
an open niche if any ambitious person here wishes to fill it. Call the
Guinness Book of World Records beforehand; I doubt you'll get more than a
practice run at it. I am, as always,
your faithful servant,
~M.
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Anonymous
 Posts: 116 Registered: 14/4/2002 Status: Offline
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posted on 6/8/2003 at 02:39 AM |
Thanks Monolycus. you have been a big help.
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Monolycus
Fanatic Posts: 580 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 6/8/2003 at 01:58 PM |
Sorry I wasn't able to provide an answer, although I have been thinking
about it. Why don't you hike on down to your local public or academic
library and harass a reference librarian? They are obligated to help you
find the answers to any question, no matter how stupid, if an answer
actually exists. I love making those people earn their pay.
As an additional incentive, most librarians keep a list of the most stupid
questions they have been asked and circulate them amongst their friends.
You could make it a personal goal to have your very own question sandwiched
between "Do you know where I can get a photograph of George Washington?"
and "You guys have books here, right?" Just a thought.
~M.
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dead-cell
Fanatic  Posts: 344 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 6/8/2003 at 03:06 PM |
Mono you were extremely helpful. And thanks for that fun fact about
librarians. I had always thought they were just being extra nice. If I had
to guess how many times a person could bounce after falling from the sky I
would estimate 1 bounce.
After Note: experimenting with several house hold items, and my own left
hand I have come to the conclusion a body falling from the sky could if
condition are right bounce once after initial impact. After that the body
would become inert having lost its kinetic energy.
By the way; Mono are you a librarian? ____________________
co-worker: "Your gay!?"
myself: "Didn't you see my rainbow pin?"
co-worker: "I just thought you liked skettles."
-(yes, it actually happened to me)
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Dense
Member   Posts: 73 Registered: 5/6/2003 Status: Offline
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posted on 7/8/2003 at 12:41 AM |
Opps sorry about that thought I was logged on guys/ladys.
Mono you are turely a genius.
Dead-cell that makes sense but I figure the body would collect more energy.
May be?
[Edited on 7/8/2003 by Dense] ____________________
i am a misunderstood genius... Nobody understands that i am a genius!
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Monolycus
Fanatic Posts: 580 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 7/8/2003 at 01:25 AM |
dead-cell: I am not myself a librarian, but my pursuits put me into
frequent, intimate contact with Masters and Mistresses of Library
Sciences.
Dense: You are kind to say so.
~M.
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HuntressPlague
Occasional Poster   Posts: 29 Registered: 2/8/2003 Status: Offline
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posted on 7/8/2003 at 01:48 PM |
Monolycus ... I just have to say I think your smart and funny.... lol ...
*shrug*
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Monolycus
Fanatic Posts: 580 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 7/8/2003 at 02:02 PM |
HP: You're also very kind to say so... (Sheesh, I am just going to have to
have that inscribed on a set of business cards to hand out!) and welcome
aboard. Now enough with the mutual admiration, we have experiments to
conduct! Quickly, get the Defective Parachute o' Science...!
~M.
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HuntressPlague
Occasional Poster Posts: 29 Registered: 2/8/2003 Status: Offline
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posted on 8/8/2003 at 02:49 AM |
what are you going to try to figure out next? Why different color candle
burn faster? Or where the other sock goes when put in the dryer? lol
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dead-cell
Fanatic Posts: 344 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 8/8/2003 at 06:41 AM |
HP forget about your sock the laundry trolls have it now.
Indeed it seem like there should be an energy build up after impact. My
current theory is that this impact energy is minute and absorbed back into
the ground, spread through the air, then excess energy is absorbed by the
body's flesh and bone. ____________________
co-worker: "Your gay!?"
myself: "Didn't you see my rainbow pin?"
co-worker: "I just thought you liked skettles."
-(yes, it actually happened to me)
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Squire-of-Gothos
Fanatic  Posts: 206 Registered: 1/1/2003 Status: Offline
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posted on 8/8/2003 at 07:59 AM |
I don't know if it helps but.
I was hunting in the rocky mountains, and my father and I had beem tracking
a deer through the low lying trees for about an hour and a half. N E way,
we got into an open area (as we where stalking we where getting
progressively higher, and as such, had passed the tree line on the mountain
face) and I saw the deer inspecting the area, figuring it had lost us, and
I let an arrow fly. I struck the deer in the shoulder, and it began to
bound away. I got up and began to chase it, but suddenly stopped when I got
to where it disapeared over a crest of land. It had lept off the edge of a
cliff face about 150 high. Needless to say, I doubt the deer came anywhere
near terminal velocity, but I did see it strike the face of the boulders
below and bounce 1 time before it came to rest. It looked to be about 200
to 250 pounds, so it was an average adult male weight. Just thought I'd
add.
BTW, to those who abhor hunting, I'd like to say that though I am an avid
shooter, I do not believe in hunting game with a gun, or using decoys and
feeders. Or even using a compound bow (A modern synthetic bow allowing more
power, increased accuracy, and is smaller than an average long bow) I am a
period hunter, so I track and stalk game, and hunt with an English long
bow, faced with raw hide. I make my own arrows and eat or cure everything I
kill, and generally use the bones for arrow heads or carving. I do not
believe in undue advantages over an animal, an I figure that aside from
leaping on top of the animal with a knife, a simple bow and arrow, against
a deer’s speed and senses, is as fair as one can get. I realize that this
does not absolve me of wrong doing, so to speak, in the eyes of those who
think hunting is absolutely atrocious, but I thought that perhaps this
could shed some light on my personal preference, and my beliefs. ____________________
“The only thing that can alter the good writer is death.”
“You know that if I were reincarnated, I’d want to come back a buzzard.
Nothing hates him. He is never bothered or in danger, and he can eat
anything.”
Faulkner
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HuntressPlague
Occasional Poster Posts: 29 Registered: 2/8/2003 Status: Offline
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posted on 8/8/2003 at 10:02 PM |
I'll have you know *shaking finger* That almost all my socks can be
accounted for. The only ones that are turely lost are the ones my dog
stole.
Well as for your hunting. I do not believe in those who do it for the fun.
If you are killing to eat and not waste that is fine. It may not be for
everyone. There are many things others don't agree upon. I may not like it
but then that is why I do not do it. I will not think any less or more of
you. I don't know you and will not judge. to each his own. *bows*
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bettie_x
Extreme Fanatic   Posts: 1570 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 9/8/2003 at 10:46 PM |
| You know for the most part I almost wish people would use machine guns so
they'd die faster intead of suffering with an arrow sticking out of them.
At least you use every scrap of what you kill, and for that I hate what you
do a fraction of a bit less than I normally would. ____________________
Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.
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Squire-of-Gothos
Fanatic Posts: 206 Registered: 1/1/2003 Status: Offline
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posted on 10/8/2003 at 06:30 AM |
For what its worth, high powered rifles are not always efective killers.
I've seen deers take a shot from a gun you could kill an elephant with, and
keep going. And I've seen deers take an arrow and drop like they where hit
by lightning. Its about placement not power. In fact, a machine gun would
probably cause more pain, and pose less a chance of killing a deer, than
you may think. Keep in mind that its also rather easy to plug something
from 70 or 80 yards with a scoped rifle, than to get within 20 yards of a
deer and not get caught, with a bow.
But I can't convince anyone to agree with me, so I respect all of your
opinions, and hope that this doesn't put me in a bad light. ____________________
“The only thing that can alter the good writer is death.”
“You know that if I were reincarnated, I’d want to come back a buzzard.
Nothing hates him. He is never bothered or in danger, and he can eat
anything.”
Faulkner
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HuntressPlague
Occasional Poster Posts: 29 Registered: 2/8/2003 Status: Offline
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posted on 10/8/2003 at 07:48 AM |
The more you know the better it is. The fact that you know that it is how
and where is better then most I have spoken to. Spending 15,000. Just to
hunt deer and stuff. He did it as a bonding thing with a son. *shaking
head* The fact you use it the way it was intended is why I have respect for
you. The point is to be open minded about the whole thing. WE are all
lessons and teachers here. Ok I'll shut put now.
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Abbadon
Fanatic  Posts: 499 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 12/8/2003 at 05:33 PM |
| They are all wrong. ____________________
Light is changing to shadow, and casting a shroud over all we have known.
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HuntressPlague
Occasional Poster Posts: 29 Registered: 2/8/2003 Status: Offline
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posted on 12/8/2003 at 07:29 PM |
 *looks
around like a deer stuck in head lights* who they?
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bettie_x
Extreme Fanatic Posts: 1570 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 13/8/2003 at 12:30 PM |
| YOU know....THEM *whisperwhisper* ____________________
Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.
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Dolorosa
Extreme Fanatic  Posts: 856 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Offline
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posted on 13/8/2003 at 04:37 PM |
Nutter Butter monkey, you are so FIRED.
Bettie...does them include Mary Poppins? And if it does...can you please
tell her to get out from under my bed.
As for that hunting blurb...unfair advantages? WHAT unfair
advantages...Bears can kick the crap out of us...I won't hunt with anything
less than a fucking rocket launcher and heat sensitive optical gear...and
even then I hear Bears have access to active camo...freaking bears.
As for Dolphins...those poor sons of bitches get only my disdain and those
little plastic thingies of the top of my soda sixpacks...bastards.
____________________
In the valley of the Goats, the Goat Fucker is King
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Tenebrarum
Coward   Posts: 7 Registered: 1/8/2003 Status: Offline
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 posted on 13/8/2003 at 11:01 PM |
Ok Ok!...once again Im lost.... 
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