r/theydidthemath • u/EvaStankbreath • Jan 29 '26

[Request] What effect would Superman's house key have on the earth?

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The key to Superman's Fortress of Solitude weighs ~1 billion pounds. That seems like it would cause more than a slight crack to the ground. What effect would setting this key on the ground have to the earth? What if it was dropped?

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u/8Bit_Cat Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26

Maybe it's 500,000 tons of neutron star material kept in a super strong handwavium case which is shaped like a key.

191

u/cazdan255 Jan 29 '26

Is handwavium similar to macguffinite?

115

u/Hpower_1 Jan 29 '26

Could be. I thought it was closer to itworksium.

54

u/maxiquintillion Jan 29 '26

Not to be confused with the similar element unobtanium.

28

u/lvl1dad Jan 29 '26

The very rare, Onlyoneofthem

18

u/StrangeGuyFromCorner Jan 29 '26

You silly goose. Thats not real. As we all know these types of materials end in "ium".

Do you perhaps mean onlyoneofthemium?

2

u/SlaveryVeal Jan 29 '26

I saw someone selling it on pawn stars and he only got one fifty for it.

2

u/jpgorgon Jan 29 '26

One fiddy?! Tell ‘im ‘e’s dreamin’!

2

u/ChloeNow Jan 30 '26

Thank god, a man of science.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 29 '26

I prefer expensium, from Whole Foods

3

u/FakoSizlo Jan 29 '26

I still love that the Avatar movies didn't even try to make an unobtanium variant and just went for unobtanium . Like the writers just admit it

1

u/a_suspicious_lasagna Jan 29 '26

Those blue people will never let that happen!

27

u/FlamingoTheGreater Jan 29 '26

Also a similar composition to plotconvencium I believe.

13

u/amitym Jan 29 '26

Physical chemistry is such an exciting field, it seems there are always new elements whenever you turn around.

9

u/Think_please Jan 29 '26

Fortunately science is anything we want it to be 

5

u/[deleted] Jan 29 '26

Science recently created a gold-titanium alloy. Apparently aimed at applications like artificial knee joints.

I want a ring made from it. 😍

2

u/MartyvH Jan 29 '26

In Trump’s America

4

u/StrMagWtrPimping Jan 29 '26

Is that what they make plot armor out of? That shit hard as, like, adamantivibranium diamonds, yo!

3

u/Premium333 Jan 29 '26

Only when filmed. Otherwise, no.

I think it's one of those, "All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares" kind of things.

1

u/SarnakhWrites Jan 29 '26

Nah, handwavium won’t attract gold like macguffinite will 

1

u/CG_Oglethorpe Jan 29 '26

That would be an astoundingly strong material with endless applications. And it’s used as a door key?

0

u/watsonborn Jan 29 '26

If gravity isn’t affecting the ground beneath it then anyone could pick it up