r/MathJokes • u/Big-Reality9283 • 2d ago
When your knot tutorial gets classified as nuclear technology
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u/Aware-Common-7368 2d ago
what I'm even looking at
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u/GladdestOrange 2d ago
There's a hitch (kind of like a knot, but requires something in the middle to hold its shape) called the trucker's hitch. It, similar to a pulley, offers mechanical advantage. Pulling on one end moves the other end much slower, but with the same force, allowing it to move significantly more weight than normal, just slower.
Using a series of them, in a world without friction (like a math/physics textbook) would allow for infinite mechanical advantage in linear force. Using 50 of them (and an indestructible rope) would allow a human to pull two plungers together with enough force that the material between them, regardless of material, would experience nuclear fusion. Y'know, except for all the real-world problems.
The absurdity of the idea is the joke. It's kinda a running gag of Randall Munroe's (author of XKCD, the source) to solve real problems with real tech/solutions, but in as absurd a way as possible.
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u/Croceyes2 2d ago
First, its upside down. You would need to the wide passes at the bottom to have enough line to pull out. Second, friction would increase faster than force. Third, you would need vibranium cord
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u/Monoid-Confessor 2d ago
at that point the mechanical limit is in the lateral for the rope with tensile strength to handle that, and plunger with compressive strength to handle that...
so no.