Archive for the ‘bungy jumping’ tag
Physics of Bungee Jumping no comments
While modern bungee jumping has become known and practiced worldwide, what is less understood is the physics behind bungee jumping. Interestingly enough, the extreme sport originated from spiritual rituals of South Pacific natives, who had no idea of the science behind the sport. Modern bungee jumping enthusiasts find much comfort in the idea that someone has worked through the math required to perform a safe jump. So who developed the physics of bungee jumping and how sure are the modern practitioners of the sport that it is relatively safe? Let’s start by taking a look at the origins of the science behind the sport. Get your own custom trading pins with and help to promote this sport among your friends.
Years before the discovery of the land diving natives on Pentecost Island, a British mathematician named Robert Hooke was discovering the physics of bungee jumping. He began working as an assistant to the famous scientist Robert Boyle in 1653. However, it wasn’t until 1660 that he formulated and wrote down Hooke’s Law of Elasticity. In laymen’s terms, Hooke’s law basically tells us how much tension a spring can endure, and the maximum length it will reach. Hooke’s law can be used on any material that is considered linear-elastic, or stretching lengthwise. Oddly enough, rubber is usually considered non-linear, because variations of stress and temperature can have a significant impact on the elasticity of the rubber.
Today, modern practitioners of the physics of bungee jumping don’t have to be as well-versed as Hooke. Depending on the bungee cords used and their ratings, the science has been simplified quite a bit. The commercial proprietor who is offering ‘bungee jumping’ as an extreme sport still has to be on their toes. Cords that are manufactured to meet a well established United States military specification (mil spec) are perhaps the best to use. This is simply because of the rigorous testing that must go in to making sure they meet the mil spec. Most of these cords have a specific weight limit and elongation potential. Using these numbers, along with the length of the jump and the weight of the jumper, the calculations can be made. The length of rope needed, how many strands are needed for the weight, and how much beyond the normal length of the cord the jumper can expect to go.
The physics of bungee jumping has changed some with advances in the material used in bungee cords. Some cords are also ‘pre-streched’ so there is less elasticity and bounce, and a more forceful shock and return from the bottom of the jump position. The problems with some jumpers using cords that were too long are the result of not understanding the physics of bungee jumping. Even though modern bungee cords are weight and elongation rated, some people still fail to take this into account when performing amateur jumps. This is why it is highly recommended that anyone who wants to learn bungee jumping should consult with a professional. This is not a sport that you can learn and practice at home. The physics of bungee jumping have been simplified by 20th century manufacturing standards, resulting in a much safer sport for everyone participating.
Bungee Jumping Culture no comments
There is something about an individual that is willing to jump from a high place, attached to a rubber band. This modern extreme sport, known as bungee jumping, seems to have it’s own culture attached to it. It’s almost ethereal, hard to put your finger on it, but it is there. Perhaps it comes from the past, or is a morphing into a new spiritual experience, but the bungee jumping culture can be seen and felt.
So what is the bungee jumping culture? Where did it come from? Where is it going? The origins of the sport itself gives us a clue as to where the bungee jumping culture came from. Originally a religious ritual used on the South Pacific island of Pentecost to appease mother earth, it was supposed to proved for a good yam crop. It was also a demarcation, a rite of passage, for young boys to become known as men. Since as long as anybody can tell, these natives have conducted this ritual every spring, literally for thousands of years. The prevailing culture of the original land divers was definitely a spiritual one.
Re-discovered in the 1950s and promoted heavily in the modern world during the 1980s, bungee jumping has grown by leaps and bounds. The modern bungee jumping culture doesn’t consist of primitive natives trying to appease the mother earth. However, there is a back-to-earth element to this extreme death defying outdoor sport. It provides a thrilling adrenaline rush that is next to nothing else on earth. Perhaps space travel could rival this effect, but I doubt it. The bungee jump goes beyond the limited religious and cultural conflicts of our modern day, and appeals to something more primitive, more basic. The modern bungee jumping culture is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and multi-socio-economic group, all looking for the thrill of their lives.
So what does the modern bungee jumping culture look like? It defies logic. Both young and old alike flock to bungee jumping events. There is simply a mystique that permeates this sporting event like no other. Back to mother earth, defying death, and telling the tale – all of these are the bragging rights of successful bungee jumpers. They all share in common this aspect of the sport – survival. Jumpers face a primeval fear, the ultimate loss – death, and overcoming that fear to complete a jump. There is a sense of accomplishment and victory that goes beyond mountain climbing and other extreme sports.
Taking the back-to-nature theme to the extreme, there is a new movement within bungee jumping called nude bungee jumping. It typically appeals to the green back-to-earth movement, as well as the frugal bungee jumpers. Commercial bungee jumping outfitters usually provide a discount, or even a free jump, if someone decides to go the full monty. This type of jump is usually done with a partner, for a spiritual bonding that goes beyond the everyday realm. This is yet another evidence that the bungee jumping culture is evolving beyond normal boundaries, and we have yet to truly see what it will become.
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Bungy Jumping As Stunts no comments
While we may never know for certain which is actually stronger– the media’s influence on the public, or the public’s influence on the media– but there is no way to discount the fact that the influence in both directions is very strong indeed. The general population, especially the younger people, are greatly influenced by what they see on on the movie screen, and they wish to emulate their favorite stars. The actions which the celebrities take part in, American youth wants to take part in also. And bungy jumping is no exception!
On the other hand, what is presented in the media often clearly mirrors the behaviors and the lifestyles of the American public. For better or for worse, a large part of American entertainment is based on mimicking their audiences. If it is popular amongst “regular folks,” presenting it on the movie screen tends to make it even more popular.
One of the most well-known recent movie stunts showed James Bond jumping over the edge of a dam in “GoldenEye.” Bond’s bungy jump stunt was for real, not merely a movie effect. Bungy jumping has become an interesting stunt in modern movies, as evidenced by the growing number of bungy jumping companies which offer special training to those who plan to do similar stunts in films. On the Hollywood scene there have always been actors who specialized in movie stunts in general, but seeing more doing bungy jumping stunts shows how popular this sport has become.
The James Bond character, stunt-doubled by Wayne Michaels, may have performed one of the most recently popular bungy jump stunts, but is far from being unique. Even thought it was voted as the best stunt ever filmed did not distract others from attempting the same feat; perhaps it even assisted others in wanting to meet or even outdo what Wayne Michaels did.
Bungee America, which offers great bungy jumping experiences to all who wish to try the sport, is also Hollywood’s number one bungy stunt company. Since 1996, they have assisted in the bungy jump stunts for no less than forty-five Hollywood films. The first, made in February, 1996, starred Arnold Schwarzenegger in his movie “Eraser.” In this movie, which involved falling sixty-five feet and doing a back-flip, Schwarzenegger did not use a double, but performed the stunt himself. This is quite impressive, and surely a positive influence on the fans, because most stars do use doubles in their place for such dangerous stunts. It undoubtedly has prodded his already-large number of fans to have an even deeper respect for this actor.
Bungy jumping is clearly a sport which is here to stay, and its appeal in the media proves it. The more that Hollywood presents it as stunts in their films the more the general public will want to take part; and the wider the public interest and involvement in bungy jumping, the more commonplace it will continue to be on the movie screen– for daily life mirrors the media, and the media mirrors daily life.
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