Another Hollywood myth sunk
Wednesday, September 28, 2005 by aimzzz | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Quicksand is one of those things I always wondered about but never remembered to look up... Exactly what is it? What makes it different from other sand or mud? Why don't we have it here in East TN? Does it really behave as portrayed in the cartoons & movies?
Well, this news item plopped some information right in my lap & I thought some of you might find it interesting too. As for me, I'll look into it further-- it's more interesting than expected
[[ FYI, where I wrote 'snip' I cut some stuff to save space. If you want to see it, check the link. ]]
____________________
How to overcome that sinking feeling in quicksand http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2005-09-28T171003Z_01_YUE861767_RTRUKOC_0_US-QUICKSAND.xml
Quicksand is not the bottomless pit portrayed in Hollywood films that sucks in unsuspecting victims and swallows them whole.
snip
"Everybody thinks, thanks to Hollywood, that you can drown in quicksand. Basically if you do a simple buoyancy calculation, the Archimedes force, it is immediately evident that you can't drown completely," said Daniel Bonn, of the Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Quicksand consists of salt, water, sand and clay. It is the water content that makes quicksand, which is found near estuaries, beaches and rivers, so dangerous.
snip
They... calculated the amount of force necessary to get a trapped foot out -- and found it was the equivalent needed to lift a medium-sized car. Their findings are reported in the science journal Nature.
If someone falls into quicksand they begin to sink and the sand packs densely around the feet, forming a type of trap. In films people sinking in quicksand usually grab on to an overhanging tree branch or are pulled out just as they are about to disappear under the mucky surface.
But Bonn and his team said in real life the victim would sink halfway into the quicksand but would not disappear.
snip
"All you have to do to get your foot out is to introduce water into the sand and if you can do that along your leg by wiggling your leg around, that is the best way to get out," Bonn said.
Well, this news item plopped some information right in my lap & I thought some of you might find it interesting too. As for me, I'll look into it further-- it's more interesting than expected
[[ FYI, where I wrote 'snip' I cut some stuff to save space. If you want to see it, check the link. ]]
____________________
How to overcome that sinking feeling in quicksand http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2005-09-28T171003Z_01_YUE861767_RTRUKOC_0_US-QUICKSAND.xml
Quicksand is not the bottomless pit portrayed in Hollywood films that sucks in unsuspecting victims and swallows them whole.
snip
"Everybody thinks, thanks to Hollywood, that you can drown in quicksand. Basically if you do a simple buoyancy calculation, the Archimedes force, it is immediately evident that you can't drown completely," said Daniel Bonn, of the Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Quicksand consists of salt, water, sand and clay. It is the water content that makes quicksand, which is found near estuaries, beaches and rivers, so dangerous.
snip
They... calculated the amount of force necessary to get a trapped foot out -- and found it was the equivalent needed to lift a medium-sized car. Their findings are reported in the science journal Nature.
If someone falls into quicksand they begin to sink and the sand packs densely around the feet, forming a type of trap. In films people sinking in quicksand usually grab on to an overhanging tree branch or are pulled out just as they are about to disappear under the mucky surface.
But Bonn and his team said in real life the victim would sink halfway into the quicksand but would not disappear.
snip
"All you have to do to get your foot out is to introduce water into the sand and if you can do that along your leg by wiggling your leg around, that is the best way to get out," Bonn said.
aimzzz
Reply #4 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 6:14 PM
Sorry-not much into TV-- never heard of it. The story was on my newspage & I thougt it was interesting research. Didn't think people would comment, though. It's nice to see that some peeps also found it interesting
Reply #4 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 6:14 PM
| Someone watched Myth Busters |
Sorry-not much into TV-- never heard of it. The story was on my newspage & I thougt it was interesting research. Didn't think people would comment, though. It's nice to see that some peeps also found it interesting
ExodusCrow
Reply #5 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 6:20 PM
Reply #5 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 6:20 PM
MythBusters: Episode 19 http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/photogalleries/season_02/season_02_07.html & http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/photogalleries/season_02/season_02_08.html & http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/photogalleries/season_02/season_02_09.html
aimzzz
Reply #6 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 7:05 PM
Reply #6 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 7:05 PM
looks like fun 
Myth Busters must be one of the science shows like Nova.
My TV got struck by lightning in the 70's. Got another one the last time the Mariners were in the playoffs ('01, I think), but I ended up selling it after the series. Can't explain it, but excepting baseball, I get kind of depressed & irritated sitting & watching it for any period of time-- as opposed to computers, which keep me busy.
Anyway, now you know why I'm so out to lunch...
Myth Busters must be one of the science shows like Nova.
My TV got struck by lightning in the 70's. Got another one the last time the Mariners were in the playoffs ('01, I think), but I ended up selling it after the series. Can't explain it, but excepting baseball, I get kind of depressed & irritated sitting & watching it for any period of time-- as opposed to computers, which keep me busy.
Anyway, now you know why I'm so out to lunch...
Tarkus
Reply #7 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:28 PM
Reply #7 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:28 PM
Thanks, this info will come in handy here in the deserts of Nevada.
Phoon
Reply #8 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:33 PM
Translation... Pee your pants and wiggle your leg to get out...
Reply #8 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:33 PM
| introduce water into the sand and if you can do that along your leg by wiggling your leg around, |
Translation... Pee your pants and wiggle your leg to get out...
tjesterb
Reply #9 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:35 PM
Seriously, though, you just spoiled half of the Gilligan's Island rereuns I watched growing up. Not that you'd know tht without a TV......
Cool info, though.
Reply #9 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:35 PM
| Thanks, this info will come in handy here in the deserts of Nevada. |
Seriously, though, you just spoiled half of the Gilligan's Island rereuns I watched growing up. Not that you'd know tht without a TV......
Cool info, though.
aimzzz
Reply #11 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:50 PM
I saw them... but they weren't reruns
#8 - no survival manual needed
Reply #11 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:50 PM
| Gilligan's Island rereuns |
I saw them... but they weren't reruns
#8 - no survival manual needed
eieio
Reply #12 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:40 PM
Reply #12 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:40 PM
Used to run into quicksand every now and then in some of the swampy areas around here when we were kids. Naturally being kids, we played in the pools to see how far we would sink.
thomassen
Reply #13 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 10:24 PM
Reply #13 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 10:24 PM
yea.... next timr I hoy them pesky wuicksnad pits I'll remebeerm taht."
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Reply #1 Wednesday, September 28, 2005 5:29 PM