h a l f b a k e r y"Bun is such a sad word, is it not?" -- Watt, "Waiting for Godot"
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See link about "drywall stilts". For this Idea we probably need
SMALLER versions of those stilts.
Basically, measure the tallest basketball player in the game,
and then
give everyone else whatever magnitude of extra height (from
elevator
shoes to stilts) that makes all the players the same
height.
Then start
the game.
The taller players will still have an advantage, because their
arms will usually be longer. But the stilts won't add much
weight to the shorter players; they will end up with less total
weight for the same height, as taller players. That gives them
an advantage, in terms of endurance. How will it all play out?
Buy a ticket and see!
Drywall Stilts
http://www.homedepo...ts-DS1830/100645164
As mentioned in the main text. [Vernon, Sep 24 2015]
Height-Irrelevant_20Basketball
[hippo, Sep 25 2015]
Lightweight frame plus..
http://www.cycleexi...orlds-lightest-bike
As mentioned in an annotation. [Vernon, Sep 25 2015]
Harrison Bergeron
http://www.tnellen....ereng/harrison.html
One of my favorites. [bungston, Sep 26 2015]
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Annotation:
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You don't want drywall stilts for this. What you
want
are bocks, which are lighter and more
manoeuvrable.
The weight advantage is doubtful, though - even
bocks shift the centre of mass of the lower leg
downward quite a lot. |
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I've tried running in bocks, and even an 18" leg
extension leaves you running at the same speed as
a non-stilt-wearing person, because of the greater
rotational inertia of the lower leg. |
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I said nothing about running faster, but if the stilts don't
give that particular advantage, it is OK. Because that
aspect of the game (players moving around) doesn't
change. |
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Also, while I specified drywall stilts, I'm sure you are
aware that most basketball players are only a foot or so
taller than the average person, and those particular
stilts would make an ordinary dude too tall. So I have
been aware that something shorter is needed, for this
Idea. I had not heard about "bocks" before. |
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That is what bocks are, [bigs]. |
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[Vernon], it's not that we're looking for a running
advantage, but the fact that you can't run faster
reflects the general problem of having too much
mass at the bottom of the leg. |
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[MaxwellBuchanan], a point I was trying to make in the
main text was that tall basketball players are not so skinny
that they don't weigh significantly more than short players.
If the short player adds mass below the foot to gain height,
the short player's overall mass will still be less than the tall
player. Partly because the tall player has an overall larger
body; his extra weight is not only in his legs. AND we can
make stilts or other height-tool out of rather light/strong
substances these days (carbon fiber comes to mind --and
you know that pro sports teams can afford such things). |
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Yes, but putting the extra mass below the knee (and,
especially, below the normal foot) has a huge impact
on agility. If you don't believe me, either buy a pair
of bocks (which are already made pretty light), or
duct-tape a bag of sugar to each foot. The effect is
much, much worse than just having four pounds of
extra bodyweight. |
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ah yes [normzone]...my thoughts exactly! |
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[normzone], oops, sorry, hit delete instead of annotate.
Title fixed. Thanks! |
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[MaxwellBuchanan], did you ignore what I wrote about
lightwelght stilts? See link! More framework in that thing
than stilts would have, and only 2.7kg. |
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[Vernon], did you ignore what I wrote about putting
mass below the knee? Seriously, duct-tape a bag of
sugar (1kg) to each foot and try playing basketball. |
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I've always thought that basketball would be much more fun if played with a rugby ball. It's a silly game, easily won by any team that can find enough players over 7 feet tall. |
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[MaxwellBuchanan] on what basis are you assuming that
smallish lightweight stilts are going to weigh nearly as much
as a whole bicycle? But I DO know something about what
you wrote, since I have happened to have worn roller-
skates with old-fashioned steel wheels on occasion. |
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//on what basis are you assuming that smallish
lightweight stilts are going to weigh nearly as
much as a whole bicycle// |
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On the basis:
(a) An aluminium-framed bicycle weighs about the
same as a single bock. Weight-saving through
carbon fibre should be about the same in either
case. |
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(b) A bicycle has to support only vertical loads
(even when turning). The lightest carbon-fibre
bikes will not withstand things like jumping. A
single bock has to support a greater vertical load
(by a considerable factor) if the wearer jumps or
even runs on it. |
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I'll gladly grant you that a carbon-fibre stilt
capable of supporting a man jumping and running
on it can be 1/2 the weight of a carbon-fibre bike
frame designed for racing on tracks or smooth
roads. But you are wrong to assume it can be a lot
less than that. |
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Something about the title makes me want to think of jilted,
stunted basketball, which just sounds like a very sad game. |
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