Re: Why can't human statue stand?

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Article #8664

#8664

From: Edward Green
Date: Tue, 09 May 2006 00:02

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jmfbahciv@aol.com wrote:

> In article <445e64ad.12647836@news.west.earthlink.net>,
>    bw@barrrk.net (B1ackwater) wrote:
>
> [Honey, please do not toppost.]
>
> >Human balance is a DYNAMIC act - a thousand minor corrections
> >to our position a minute.
>
> Sure.  And the detection devices are the toes coordinated
> with the inner ear turbulence.
>
> > Requires energy, requires a fair amount
> >of brain quietly dedicated to the task. We're always teetering
> >on the brink of collapse. A quick push or a few slow gin fizzes
> >and we're back to all fours again.
>
> That's why beer is better.

Heh.   This reminds me of the interesting demonstrations of the human
balance mechanism performing under extreme conditions I have witnessed.
 Normally we seem to stay very close to a fully poised condition or
else fail catastrophically -- a few quick stabs or emergency arm
flailing forming the fleeting intermediate states.  But I've seen a
drugged person fall in slow motion, never quite contacting the ground
with anything but their feet, and yet keeling over at such alarming and
bizarre angles and attitutes that you are absolutely certain it is
physically impossible for them not to fall in another microsecond --
and then, incredibly, somehow pull themselves back into an upright
posture!  And not once, but repeatedly.  This system has ranges of
motion beyond our usual experience.

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From: "Edward Green" <spamspamspam3@netzero.com>
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.bio.misc,bionet.neuroscience
Subject: Re: Why can't human statue stand?
Date: 8 May 2006 17:02:34 -0700
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