Question: How does a "human cannonball" survive being shot out of a circus cannon without getting blown to bits?
Answer: That part is easy since the "explosion" is all theatrics, mere pop and puff, with the propulsion provided by a catapulting spring or compressed air, say David Halliday et al. in "Fundamentals of Physics."
But the dangers are real, considering the performer usually blacks out momentarily from muzzle acceleration and must awaken before landing in the net or risk a broken neck!
A second great danger is summed up by "Flying isn't the hard part, managing to hit the net is."
The stunt was made famous by the Zacchini circus family in the 1920s, then culminating a few decades later when Emanuel Zacchini was shot at 60 mph over three 60-foot-high Ferris wheels, clearing them by 15-20 feet and landing in a net some 225 feet from launchpoint. That one worked out OK, but somewhere down the Zacchini gene line two daredevils cannonballing from opposite ends of a circus accidentally collided in midair, breaking the back of one of them.
Question: It's been said your best bet in fleeing a pursuing crocodile on land is to outwit it by running away in zigzag fashion. True, or a crock?
Answer: That's an old myth and would only up your odds of becoming lunch, says British zoologist Dr. Adam Britton, Web author of crocodilian.com. The fastest way of putting distance between yourself and a crocodile is a straight line run. If you're fit, you should easily win this race.
Fact is, crocs are not pursuers but ambushers. To get away, you have to see one coming.
Question: Your sassmouth kid says: "Dad, we proved in math today I have no time for school: About one-third of my time over the next year I'll be sleeping (8 hours/day), totaling about 122 days. Another one-eighth of my time I'll be eating (3 hours/day), or 45 more days. Two days a week are weekends, for 104 days. Then add 3 months summer vacation, or 90 days, 2 weeks for holidays, and a week for spring break. Since that's more than 365 days, school's out!"
Give her an "A" for effort. Can you spot the fallacy?
Answer: The various time blocks are not mutually exclusive, so many hours get counted again and again — e.g., time for weekends duplicates time for eating and sleeping.
Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at strangetrue@compuserve.com