Super-Saves!

First things first: I love the Big Bang Theory. I've only recently discovered it (though people have been telling me for years now that I would love this show) and am slowly working my way through its first season. Expect many BBT-related postings in the future; this will be the first.

This exchange (from Season One's "The Big Bran Hypothesis") caught my attention:



(If the video doesn't work, check out the clip here on youtube.com)

According to Sheldon, this famous save would never have been possible, since Superman's failure to conserve Lois Lane's momentum when he caught her would essentially kill her (though I don't imagine that his arms of steel would be sharp enough to chop her into three equal pieces; there would likely be something more like extensive crushing injuries involved).

This reminded me of another famed moment in superhero history: the death of Gwen Stacy. The exact same laws of physics apply to this situation--Gwen Stacy is falling from a bridge and, in an effort to save her, Spiderman (who, as a scientist himself, really should have known better) shoots a web that catches her ankle and arrests her fall. Though he did keep her from smashing into the ground, the abrupt way in which he had stopped her fall snapped her neck and killed her.



Physicist and professor Dr. James Kakalios explains it better than I ever could (Seriously, if you're even the slightest bit interested in the science of superheroes, check out his book "Physics of Superheroes". It's an interesting and entertaining read!).

Dr. Kakalios on the Death of Gwen Stacy

Let this be a lesson to all of you superheroes out there: if you want to save someone in free fall, match his or her speed, remember to conserve momentum, then decelerate. :)

Disclaimer:
The Big Bang Theory is owned by CBS; Spider-man is owned by Marvel Comics, and Superman is owned by DC Comics. No copyright infringement intended.