[The Random Factor] Going balls to the wall

[The Random Factor]

------------------------------------
 Riddles & Facts & Quotes, Oh My!
------------------------------------

We've all heard the phrase "balls to the wall" and know it to mean "going
full speed" or "going all out." But, where did that phrase come from?

Any guesses?

It's not an outdated mating ritual, nor a test of manhood. The phrase comes
from the world of the fighter pilot.

A pilot accelerates by pushing the plane's throttle forward. At maximum
speed the "balls" or knobs of the throttle are pushed all the way forward
pressed to the "wall" or panel.

Going balls to the wall (and particularly when combined with a sharp turn)
can also stretch our understanding of space-time. G-force is a unit of
acceleration approximately, 32.174 ft/second, or as it's more commonly
known, gravity.  Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your mouse, right now
you're experiencing 1 G.

So, what the heck does "2 Gs" mean?

Simply put, 2 Gs is when a 150 lb. fighter pilot weighs 300 lbs. This begins
to make sense when you consider the sensation and appearance of being
smashed into the seat during acceleration.  When a pilot turns at high
speeds, they might "pull" 8-10Gs. Modern jets, and amazingly their pilots
(with the help of special suits) are able to withstand Gs in the teens. John
Stapp, a colonel with the US Air Force survived 46.2 Gs during a lifetime of
training that smashed him up pretty good.

While the average pilot can handle a relatively large number of Gs for a
short duration, it is the sustained Gs from prolonged acceleration that
causes "problems" ... such as passing out. [side note: Is it a coincidence
that losing consciousness is a symptom of testing the limits of space-time
or is this a glitch in "The Matrix?" Apparently, like sleep, traveling at
high speeds will trigger a "pilot eject" button seperating your
consciousness from your body, or as Ram Das called it, your "space-time
suit."]

For us land-lovers the motorized-vehicle translation of "balls to the wall"
would be "pedal to the metal." But this would seem to fall well short of the
experience of going "balls to the wall."

That's ok though, because while going full speed is great, it is not so
important as going the right direction.

Blessed are those who's compass is true,

Some Guy
http://www.some-guy.com


references
- http://www.f1nutter.co.uk/tech/glossary.php
- http://www.swairfest.org/page.aspx
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_John_Paul_Stapp
- http://www.copanational.org/non-members/safety/2003/safetyPPDec03.htm

P.S. There is another fact relating to "balls to the wall."  It would appear
that there is an urban myth around the origin of this phrase.

The myth goes that in the days of the steam engine, there was a mechanical
device called a governor which had two steel balls mounted at the ends of
two arms, attached to a vertical shaft inside the engine.  The balls start
out hanging but as speed increases the shaft begins to rotate and
centrifugal force forces the weighted balls outwards towards the inside of
the casing.

At maximum speed the balls are parallel to the ground and nearly touching
the wall of their metal housing, therefore an engineer driving at full speed
is going "balls to the wall."

Interesting story, but not true according to http://www.wordorigins.com


You are experiencing the Random Factor as requested at www.some-guy.com or
partner site... because thought is a precious gift and invaluable therefore
the stimuli in which it's rooted.


P.O. Box 15001
Portland OR, 97293


To unsubscribe: http://some-guy.com/random-factor-newsletter