AI Search Summary
This movie-physics video estimates whether Dash from The Incredibles could run on water and compares the idea with a Flash TV-show claim of about 650 miles per hour. The creator uses basilisk-lizard water-running physics, body weight, foot size, step frequency, water penetration depth, sprinter data, and movie camera timing to argue that Dash’s apparent speed checks out.
- Main question: How fast would Dash from The Incredibles need to run to run on water?
- Short answer / core takeaway: The video estimates the foot needs to hit the water at about 27 meters per second, or around 60 mph, but sustaining water running would require far more power than normal human output; Dash’s movie speed appears high enough.
- Evidence type: Movie physics explainer using a basilisk-lizard inspired model and rough kinematic estimates.
- Search topics: Dash running on water physics, Incredibles movie science, Flash run on water, basilisk lizard water running, human running on water, step frequency physics.
Common Search Questions
Can a human run on water?
The video says the physics depends on weight, foot size, step frequency, and how deeply each step pushes into the water. The required speed is not impossible-looking, but the required power output is far beyond normal human capacity.
How fast would the foot need to hit the water?
The creator estimates a minimum foot impact speed of about 27 meters per second, or around 60 miles per hour.
Was Dash fast enough in The Incredibles?
Using a 10-frame-per-second camera and a rough distance estimate, the creator calculates Dash may have moved about 500 feet per second, or 341 mph, which would be enough under the model discussed.
Key Takeaways
- Water running can be modeled using basilisk lizard mechanics.
- Surface slap and underwater foot stroke both contribute force.
- Step frequency matters a lot, so superheroes are not limited to normal sprinter cadence.
- A human-like runner would need roughly 14 times normal human power output to maintain the needed water interaction.
- Dash’s lower weight and higher step rate improve the calculation compared with an adult human.
- The workbook did not include direct citations for the Harvard model or athlete data.
Transcript
The movie-physics question
Was Dash from The Incredibles actually running fast enough to run on water, according to physics? And how fast was he running?
What about the Flash from the current TV show?
I built up enough speed to run up a building. How fast do I need to go to run on water?
Assuming your weight, 450 pounds of force per step for vertical suspension. Accounting for fluid drag, approximately 650 miles an hour.
That’s some impressive mental math there, Dr. Definitely Not Evil. But was it accurate?
Basilisk lizard model
Scientists have studied this, because nerds can be awesome.
Harvard researchers back in 1996 built a model based on the basilisk lizard, which actually does run on water.
For humans, the key parameters are weight, foot size, step frequency, and the depth that each step pushes into the water.
The force comes both from the foot’s initial slap against the water’s surface tension, and then from the foot stroke through the water.
Removing the normal human step-frequency limit
The original researchers used a step frequency taken from a normal human sprinter, roughly four steps per second.
But this is Flash or Dash, so let’s remove that limit. I used data from Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay as a starting point to go from step frequency to running speed.
So after some boring mathematics, we get to the first: the minimum speed the foot needs to hit the water at of 27 meters per second, or around 60 miles per hour.
Not as much as you would expect, but maintaining that speed through the water would require 14 times a human’s normal power output. That’s Flash.
What about Dash?
But what about Dash? With less weight, smaller feet, and more steps to cover ground, he can manage a bit slower than Barry.
But still half again as fast as Usain Bolt’s record, with way more power.
Dash’s movie speed
And how fast was he going in the movie? Let’s see.
Camera with 10 frames per second, and him traveling roughly 25 feet to and from the desk. He’d have to move at 500 feet per second to not have been caught by that security camera.
That’s 341 miles per hour, with insane acceleration.
So yeah, this checks out. Got any more movie science questions? Ask them down below and follow for more.
Additional Notes
Caption context
The caption asks what other movies viewers would like to see analyzed.
Keywords and topics
- Dash from The Incredibles
- Running on water physics
- Basilisk lizard model
- Flash running speed
- Movie science
- Step frequency
- Surface tension and fluid drag
References
- Harvard 1996 water-running/basilisk-lizard model discussed in transcript; title, source URL, DOI, and PMID were not listed in the workbook.
- Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay running data mentioned in transcript; direct sources were not listed in the workbook.