If superpowers were real: Flight - Joy Lin

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What if human flight wasn't just the stuff of epic comic book stories? Is it scientifically possible to fly? In this series, Joy Lin tackles six superpowers and reveals just how scientifically realistic they can be to us mere mortals.

Lesson by Joy Lin, animation by Cognitive Media.

If humans could fly,

without tools and machines,

how fast do you think we would go?

As of 2012, the world record

for fastest short-distance sprint speed

is roughly 27 miles per hour.

Running speed depends on how much force

is exerted by the runner's legs,

and according to Newton's Second
Law of Motion,

force is the product of mass
times acceleration.

And Newton's Third Law states

that for every action,

there is an equal and opposite reaction.

So, that means running requires

having a ground to push off from,

and the ground pushes back
against the runner's foot.

So, flying would actually be

more similar to swimming.

Michael Phelps is currently
the fastest human in water

and the most decorated
Olympian of all time.

Guess how fast he swims?

The answer may surprise you.

His fastest recorded speed is

less than 5 miles per hour.

A child on the ground can easily outrun

Michael Phelps in water,

but why is that?

Well, let's go back
to Newton's Third Law of Motion.

When we run, we move forward

by pushing against the ground
with our feet

and the ground pushes back,

propelling us forward.

The ground is solid.

By definition, it means the particles

are essentially locked into place

and must push back instead
of getting out of the way,

but water is liquid and flows easily.

When we move our limbs

to push back against the water,

a part of the water molecules

can just slide past one another

instead of pushing back.

Now, let's think about flying.

Air has a lot more free space

for particles to move past one another,

so even more of our energy
would be wasted.

We would need to push
a lot of air backwards

in order to move forward.

Astronauts move around in shuttles

in zero gravity when
they're in outer space

by pulling on handles installed
on the ceiling walls

and floors of the shuttle.

Now, imagine you were
given the ability to float.

How would you move
around in the middle of the street?

Well, you wouldn't get very far

by swimming in air, would you?

Nah, I don't think so!

Now, assuming you were
granted the ability to float

and the speed to move around efficiently,

let's discuss the height of your flight.

According to the Ideal Gas Law,

P-V N-R-T,

pressure and temperature has
a positive correlation,

meaning they increase
and decrease together.

This is because the air expands in volume

with less pressure,

so the molecules have more
room to wander around

without colliding into each other
and creating heat.

Since the atmospheric
pressure is a lot lower

in high altitudes,

it would be freezing cold

if you were flying above the clouds.

You'd need to wrap yourself up

to keep your core body temperature

above 95 degrees Fahrenheit,

otherwise you'd start shivering violently,

gradually becoming mentally confused

and eventually drop out of the sky

due to loss of muscle control

from hypothermia!

Now, the Ideal Gas Law implies

that as the pressure decreases,

gas volume increases.

So, if you were to fly
straight up too quickly,

the inert gas in your body
would rapidly expand

the way soda fizzes up when shaken.

The phenomenon is called "the bends,"

decompression sickness,

or "divers disease"

since deep sea scuba
divers experience this

when they come up too quickly.

This results in pain,

paralysis,

or death,

depending on how foamy your blood becomes.

Okay, well, let's say you want to fly

just a few meters above the ground

where you can still see the road signs

and breath oxygen with ease.

You'll still need goggles and a helmet

to protect you from birds,

insects,

street signs,

electrical wires,

and other flying humans,

including flying cops

ready to hand you a ticket

if you don't follow
the flying rules, buddy.

Now remember, if you
have a collision mid-air

that knocks you unconscious,

you would experience free fall

until you hit the ground.

Without society or the laws of physics,

flying would be a totally
awesome ability to have.

But, even if we could
all just float around

a few feet above the ground

and only moving at a snail's pace,

I'm telling you, it's still
a cool ability that I'd want,

wouldn't you?

Yeah, I thought so.

Now, which superpower physics lesson

will you explore next?

Shifting body size and content,

super speed,

flight,

super strength,

immortality,

and

invisibility.