Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/11/12/a-baseball-at-1000-mph-is-unsafe.html
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“OK, walk it off!”
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Seems to me that a even cotton ball fired at 1000 mph would be “unsafe.”
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Yup, it’s not the half m, it’s the v squared.
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Am I the only one who thinks this dummy’s torso resembles the mug of the current occupant (facing eviction) at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?
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What would happen if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90% the speed of light?
— Ellen McManis
Let’s set aside the question of how we got the baseball moving that fast. We’ll suppose it’s a normal pitch, except in the instant the pitcher releases the ball, it magically accelerates to 0.9c. From that point onward, everything proceeds according to normal physics.
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Well, duh. The whole reason Nolan Ryan threw so many wild pitches is that the catchers were terrified and simply got out of the way.
(I fully realize that if that were really the case, it would be passed balls charged to the catcher, but that doesn’t serve my nerdy joke very well, now, does it?)
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1000 mph ~= 1500 fps
Yes, a 2500 grain projectile traveling as fast as a rifle bullet is dangerous.
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When someone asked the last time this guy was featured what he was going to do with the air cannon he made.
^^ THIS!
I look for more “What if we did this?” videos.
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I am so happy high-frame rate video cameras have become so prevalent. This kind of stuff is freaking hilarious hahaha!
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During playback he marvels that the impact with the glove causes a flash of fire. He really shouldn’t be surprised. I think Boyle’s Law is about 350 years old now. Speaking of which I think folks will enjoy this:
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I’d think a cotton ball would instantaneously disintegrate before it even cleared the muzzle of the contraption. Like blowing on a dandelion. 
:dash:
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3:44: “Bob’s gonna die.”
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