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If we wish to colonize another world, finding a planet with a gravitational field that humans can survive and thrive under will be crucial. If its gravity is too strong our blood will be pulled down into our legs, our bones might break, and we could even be pinned helplessly to the ground.
Finding the gravitational limit of the human body is something that's better done before we land on a massive new planet. Now, in a paper published on the pre-print server arXiv, three physicists, claim that the maximum gravitational field humans could survive long-term is four-and-a-half times the gravity on Earth.
Or, at least you could if you are an Icelandic strongman – and Game of Thrones monster – who can walk with more than half a metric ton on your back. For mere mortals, the researchers say, it would need to be a little weaker.
[...] For the maximum gravity at which we could take a step, the team turned to Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, an Icelandic strongman who once walked five steps with a 1430 pound log on his back, smashing a 1,000-year-old record[*].
[*] YouTube video.
What's the Maximum Gravity We Could Survive?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Saturday September 22 2018, @02:35PM (2 children)
An old space conquest game, Spaceward Ho!, with goofy cowboy hats on the planets, used 2.53 times as an upper limit. I have not seen any design notes for that game, but I'd guess they just pulled that number out of the air.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Saturday September 22 2018, @03:38PM
Wow, that was a fun game. I played it what, 20 years ago? I remember a co-worker also played it, puts it at about 2000. I was only at that company for less than a year (didn't want to join them, got talked into it, realized almost immediately I'd made a mistake).
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 22 2018, @03:56PM
You're incorrectly assuming this "study" is anyway better than a dice roll. It's not. Doctors didn't foresee the problems astronauts had in zero gravity so they sent dogs. And they still missed a whole lot of stuff.
Go ask a sports doctors who treats strength and power athletes what they think about that 4x claim. Give them a good laugh.