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xkcd #3058: Tall Structures (xkcd.com)

submitted 6 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Briefly set a new record for tallest human-made structure by getting my knit sweater snagged on the skydiving plane door as I jumped and not noticing until I'd landed.

https://explainxkcd.com/3058/

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 days ago (1 children)

How big would that sweater have to be?

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 days ago

From what I can find, an average sweater uses between 3-6000 feet of yarn [1]. Apparently an 'ideal' altitude for for skydiving is 14000 feet [2]. That puts you around the same altitude as high altitude aerostat radar systems[3]. It would have to be a fairly voluminous sweater, but it's probably just about within the realms of possibility. It's chilly at that altitude, so maybe it was made with several layers for extra warmth?

I'm no wool-ologist, and even less of a jumper out of planes, but these were the sources I used to get my figures:

[1] https://www.blackeryarns.co.uk/advice-information/wool-ball-lengths/ [2] https://friendlyskydiver.com/skydiving-altitudes/ [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tethered_Aerostat_Radar_System