Title is a misnomer, at no point was his life at risk because the ball never had enough energy to reach him on the swing back... Which of course was the point of the demonstration.
this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2025
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He really over-dramatised it, too.
If he'd given it a little push away, not just dropped it, (as he mentioned) it might have had enough energy left to bump him in the face. Probably not fatal though... exercise left for the student.
Alright now what happens if this happens in a vacuum?
The same thing, except the little bit of air resistance that stopped it slightly lower wouldn't be present.
The professor and all the students are killed.
Physics works, and I'm still alive.
That does sound about accurate to life.