'splains a lot, doesn't it?

[odditycollector]

I just spent half an hour arguing with my father about how Superman flies.

"Superman doesn't fly."
"Yes, he does."
"No, he just jumps really high, and then uses his muscles to stay in the air."
"That doesn't make any sense!"
"It's like swimming. You can change direction in the water, right?"
"By pushing against the water. Superman couldn't push hard enough against the air without causing storms."
"Parachutists can change direction in the air by moving their muscles."
"They can't go *up*. Or change direction in *space*."
"Space isn't a true vacuum! There are still tiny particles."
"Then we'd *see* him doggy-paddling to Saturn. Which he doesn't."
"You need to open your mind!"
"You need to take a physics class!"

For the record: when under a yellow sun, Superman can manipulate his own personal gravitational field, and THAT'S how he flies.

Anything else is SILLY!

Comments

[sparcck.livejournal.com]

when under a yellow sun, Superman can manipulate his own personal gravitational field, and THAT'S how he flies.

PREACH IT, SISTER! Tis why he doesn't need super-muscles and also why I love Slim-and-Trim!Supes the best.

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

Hee! Well, so do I, honestly. But for aesthetic reasons. ;)

(I left out the part where I refused to believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger could 'swim' in space better than I could. Of course, given that he's got 11 years of higher education and about 45 years of being a science-fiction fan, I suspect he was TRYING to explode my brain by that point.

*Obviously* unable to accept the fact I was right.)

[brownbetty]

Wow. It's hard to believe you're related. Except the willingness to debate Superman's flying mechanism; that part's familiar.

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

Well, I asked him if he was baiting me, and he said he read about it in the letter pages, way back when.

"Superman is so strong, when he puts his fist in front of him, he can *pull* himself away from the earth."
"No! No that is NOT HOW PULLING WORKS!"

...I think he was baiting me. Although it's hard to tell.

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

Psh, back in the day, Superman totally just jumped wicked far! All this new-fangled flying stuff, harrumph!

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

*snicker* That was my first response. "You are not *that* old!"

Although it seems he lived in the times before *physics* was invented...