Bouncing UK Children Cause Earthquake

Xibalba writes: "This is kinda cool. One million children in the UK jumped up and down simultaneously in an attempt to see what would seismically happen." This cries out to become an annual (and international) all-ages event. Bounce! Bounce! Gain weight! Bounce! Repeat.

Comments

WTF?

[sharkey]

But drop that in one spot and it would have caused quite a big hole in the ground

They aren't actually suggesting that all of Britain's children be dropped in one spot to see how big a hole they'll make, are they?

Re:Consequence?

[strictnein]

nope, you just don't understand the richter scale

an earthquake of 10 is not just 1 notch above an earthquake of 9. It's 10 times more powerful.

From http://www.everything2.org/index.pl?node_id=515312 &lastnode_id=141724

Listing is: Richter Scale # - Amount great than Richter Scale of 1 - info

1 1 no noticeable effects...detected only by seismographs
2 10 only slightly noticeable even if close to epicenter
3 100
4 1,000 slight damage near the epicenter
5 10,000
6 100,000 moderate destruction
7 1,000,000 severe destruction
8 10,000,000 one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded

Should have just asked Cecil..

[dohnut]

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_155.html

No

[unformed]

We're British scientists. We don't need reasons to do things, just cool things to do.

-
The Lameness filter can filter this.

To no use

[maggard]

According to the BBC the result was... not much.

For those /.'ers who sneer at reading linked articles the kids just went out and jumped about for a minute. No attempt at synchronization beyond a wall clock and some teacher calling out "OK Luvvies - jump about now!" There wasn't even an attempt to get the kids on a beat (apparently BBC1 couldn't be persuaded to play Queen's "We Will Rock You" at the right time ;-)

However as directly useless as this may be to science it's doubtless opened the eye's of Britians youth to what promises to be only the first of the many pointless exercises they will be required to go through in their lives, always a lesson worth learning.

Re:To no use

[Chester K]

However as directly useless as this may be to science it's doubtless opened the eye's of Britians youth to what promises to be only the first of the many pointless exercises they will be required to go through in their lives, always a lesson worth learning.

It also could have interested a few children in seismology, or science in general, and some of those children may grow up to become a world-reknowned scientist who discovers a way to accurately predict earthquakes, saving innumerable lives.

But it's much more fun to be jaded, isn't it?

China's Doomdsay Weapon

[gad_zuki!]

Everyone now, ready, set, go!

Re:Not really simultaneous

[Jace of Fuse!]

The kids didn't actually jump simultaneously.

It wasn't simultaneously, otherwise the effects WOULD have definately been much greater.

There is a military command (I can't remember the exact order) given in a march that instructs marching soldiers to lose cadance when crossing a bridge. Failure to do so has been known to collapse bridges as the combined force of dozens of troops marching in unison is capable of creating a powerful ressonance.

Some other fun synchronous experiments...

[ch-chuck]

For our next big event, on signal, lets all simultaneously:

1) flush toilets
2) pick up a telephone handset
3) switch on a large electrical appliance
4) call for Chinese take out delivery
5) withdraw funds from the bank
6) visit the same web site