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Helpful Handicap

Posted by michael on from the pumping-lead dept.

Quirk writes "National Geographic has an interesting article connecting the Olympics of ancient Greece with the modern principles of physics. The ancient Greeks used hand weights called halteres held in each hand when attempting the Olympic contest of the standing long-jump. The idea of hand held weights in the long-jump might at first seem counterintuitive but the idea is scientifically sound and was supposedly first fairly accurately explained by no less a person than Aristotle, the father of syllogistic logic."

5 of 24 comments (clear)

  1. Aristotle... by tps12 · · Score: 3, Funny

    He's the guy who said that objects move in straight lines on Earth. He'd therefore obviously never seen a long jump, so I wouldn't place too much faith in his reasoning.

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    1. Re:Aristotle... by Dannon · · Score: 5, Funny

      I had a professor once who, when asked if he would be grading a test on a curve, would answer that, since spacetime is curved due to gravity, most likely, yes....

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      Experience comes from bad judgment.
  2. yes but... by laard · · Score: 2, Funny

    What kind of (dis)advantage would this give in the aquatic events?

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    --- If we knew half the things we shouldn't we'd stop wishing we knew it all
    1. Re:yes but... by JUSTONEMORELATTE · · Score: 5, Funny
      What kind of (dis)advantage would this give in the aquatic events?
      A somewhat Darwinian one, perhaps?

      OT: Reminds me of lifeguard training from my youth. There really was nothing to prepare you for the first time you retrieve the 10lb brick from the bottom of the 14' (4m) end of the pool. You get down there, you grab the brick and look to the surface, then you try to swim with just your feet kicking, and the surface just ain't getting any closer!
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  3. Hmmmm. by g(zerofunk.org) · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wasn't that the guy that hung out with Bill and Ted for sometime?
    Oh, wait. That was SoCrates. heh.