And the best way to ski downhill is to go really fast.
If something gets in your way....turn.

This isn't stupid because it's obvious, it's stupid because it's entirely subjective to the skill of the climber.

Huck the Fuskies?

I have never been as proud of my graduate school as I am at this moment - right now.

Jesus H Christ. They couldn't of just asked a nordic skiier? If this is what a college education was supposed to net me, I'm glad I dropped out.

Unavailable for comment.

the best way up a steep slope may be zigzags

So smoke em if you got em. While maintaining your 'supply' in the local woods.

Hey, any high-school physics book could've told you that much.

Work = Force (effort) * Distance

It takes a massive effort to go straight up (the shortest distance between level A and B), so you do it at an incline. Longer distance, less effort needed. If you can't do it at a certain incline, lower the incline. In this case, by zigzagging up, it's just a really long inclined plane with turns. Bring it down to the effort you can handle, and the work gets done. Simple mechanical advantage.

I learned this back in Boy Scouts.

IlGreven: Hey, any high-school physics book could've told you that much.

Work = Force (effort) * Distance

It takes a massive effort to go straight up (the shortest distance between level A and B), so you do it at an incline. Longer distance, less effort needed. If you can't do it at a certain incline, lower the incline. In this case, by zigzagging up, it's just a really long inclined plane with turns. Bring it down to the effort you can handle, and the work gets done. Simple mechanical advantage.

Really? Is that how it works? Thanks for clearing that up. I guess I shouldn't be so sarcastic. If UoW had you there they could have saved thousands of dollars in research and a much shorter article to write/copy.

Jeebus, I learned that hiking when I was five.

/they were probably playing WoW all day, and pulled this out last minute
//I hope

I guess whomever thought this needed a study has never in his life climbed a hill.

Huh. Well, I guess we know who in here can't fly.

Yeah, I learned that playing Mass Effect.

Vic Sage: Huck the Fuskies?

*facepalm*

A few bad fans, and look what it gets us.

The important part of this article is the ability to mathematically model this phenomenon. This means that they can now predict what will be the easiest path up the mountain for any given creature or machine. Its actually pretty cool and will probably save a lot of money when building roads or paths up a mountain or steep hill.

/Go Science!

Switchback FTW!

/Wishes the back side of Mt. Phillips had some.
//Baldy = easymode
///Philmont inside jokes also FTW

bluelancer03: Switchback FTW!

/Wishes the back side of Mt. Phillips had some.
//Baldy = easymode
///Philmont inside jokes also FTW

Came here to say that.
Damn it.

I hope you are all being cynical rather than not paying attention to the "proof" part of the story. There are tons of things we know but haven't proven till recently, for example the shortest distance between three points isn't a straight line connecting the points. By adding a point in the middle, you shorten the distance by [sqrt(3)]/2. We knew this was true and that [sqrt(3)]/2 was the most we knew how to save but it wasnt until 2004(?) when someone finally figured out that was the most you could save.

Also Jeremy Clarkson (new window) disagrees with the findings.

except under traction conditions which are not conducive to lateral adhesion... thus disproving their research.

Additionally, too shallow a slope will actually increase the effort required due to "rolling resistance" and/or the absorption of force in the contact between the motive force and the ground... so for example the best way up a steep slope of sand is DIRECTLY up, even though it takes more effort to do. Generally you do not gain an advantage in overall work when zig-zagging up a slope simply because of the overall inefficiency of most modes of transport when dealing with cantered travel.

So, the best way up any slope is straight up using the best available safety and support gear and the University of Washington can kiss my ass.



Don't even get me started on the "proofs" on cow tipping.

Cbrusky: The important part of this article is the ability to mathematically model this phenomenon. This means that they can now predict what will be the easiest path up the mountain for any given creature or machine. Its actually pretty cool and will probably save a lot of money when building roads or paths up a mountain or steep hill.

It also means they can better assess current roads to determine if they are designed for efficiency. It will also avoid lots of meaningless arguments over how to build the next road.

There's a backlog of truisms that beg for mathematical proof via modeling. Pretty much everything's designed by computer these days but without accurate mathematical modeling, you've no basis for an algorithm.

prjindigo: the best way up a steep slope of sand is DIRECTLY up, even though it takes more effort to do.

Huh? Wouldn't the best way up involve less effort?

The Mayan and the Aztec knew this 5000 years ago.

Tobin_Lam: prjindigo: the best way up a steep slope of sand is DIRECTLY up, even though it takes more effort to do.

Huh? Wouldn't the best way up involve less effort?

Not necessarily less effort -- less *work*, as in "work" defined by physics (see IlGreven's post above from 2:12am).

Take walking up stairs for example. It takes a certain amount of work to use one leg to lift your whole body up each stair.
If, instead of stairs, you had a gradual ramp that was 1 mile long which took you from one floor to the next, each movement of your legs would be easier, but over the entire distance of the ramp, you would eventually do more "work."

I guess the formula mentioned in the article will let engineers optimize roads and paths and such to get the lowest "work" (that is to say, the smallest product of Force x Distance)

Lombard street unavailable for comment...

prjindigo: except under traction conditions which are not conducive to lateral adhesion... thus disproving their research.

Additionally, too shallow a slope will actually increase the effort required due to "rolling resistance" and/or the absorption of force in the contact between the motive force and the ground... so for example the best way up a steep slope of sand is DIRECTLY up, even though it takes more effort to do. Generally you do not gain an advantage in overall work when zig-zagging up a slope simply because of the overall inefficiency of most modes of transport when dealing with cantered travel.

So, the best way up any slope is straight up using the best available safety and support gear and the University of Washington can kiss my ass.



Don't even get me started on the "proofs" on cow tipping.

The model they've developed already accounts for traction, you half-educated, bullshiat-spouting nitwit. As for the rest of it, you're completely wrong.

Heroic Poser: And the best way to ski downhill is to go really fast.
If something gets in your way....turn.

What a coach!

Vic Sage: Huck the Fuskies?

HEY YOU!! YEAH YOU!! VIC SAGE!!! YOU WANNA FIGHT MAN!!!

I WILL JUMP THROUGH THIS INTERNET AND PUNCH YOU RIGHT IN THE MOUTH!!!

/_{go dawgs}

jojostan: SERPANTINE SHELLY!

There's no reason to shoot at me, I'm a dentist!

actually, holding my breath for 10 seconds works every time, no matter how severe the case of hiccups is.

motherfarker. wrong threadpost for the loss.