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Was Dash from the Incredibles Actually Running Fast Enough to Run on Water? Was The Flash?

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AI Search Summary

This movie-science video asks whether Dash from The Incredibles, or The Flash, could run fast enough to run on water. It uses basilisk-lizard hydrodynamics, human running power, foot impact speed, and movie-frame estimates to compare fictional running speeds with the physics needed to stay above water.

  • Main question: Could Dash or The Flash run on water according to physics?
  • Short answer / core takeaway: The required foot speed is around 27 m/s, or about 60 mph, but sustaining the stroke through water would require far more power than an ordinary human can produce; Dash's movie speed is more than enough by speed, but with huge acceleration and power demands.
  • Evidence type: Movie physics, hydrodynamic model, biomechanics, and running-speed estimation.
  • Search topics: Dash running on water, Flash running on water physics, basilisk lizard hydrodynamics, humans running on water, movie science.

Common Search Questions

How fast would a human need to run to run on water?

The transcript estimates that the foot needs to hit the water at about 27 m/s, or roughly 60 mph. The harder part is not just speed, but generating enough power with each step to support body weight.

Why can basilisk lizards run on water?

Basilisk lizards are small enough that rapid foot slaps and strokes against the water can generate supporting force. Scaling that up to humans creates a much larger power problem.

Was Dash fast enough to run on water in The Incredibles?

The video concludes that Dash's on-screen speed appears to check out. A rough security-camera estimate gives him a speed around 341 mph, far above the estimated minimum foot speed.

What makes The Flash different from a normal runner?

The Flash is not limited by ordinary human step frequency or power output. Removing normal human limits makes the water-running scenario more plausible within superhero physics.

Key Takeaways

  • Running on water depends on weight, foot size, step frequency, and how deeply the foot pushes into water.
  • The force comes from both the slap against the surface and the stroke through the water.
  • A normal human sprinter's step frequency is not enough for water running.
  • The estimated minimum foot speed is about 60 mph, but the power demand is roughly 14 times average human output.
  • Dash's estimated movie speed is high enough by speed, though the acceleration is extreme.

Transcript

The movie-science question

Was Dash from The Incredibles actually running fast enough to run on water, according to physics? How fast was he running anyway?

What about The Flash from the current TV show?

That is some impressive mental math there, Dr. Definitely Not Evil, but was it accurate?

The basilisk-lizard model

Scientists have studied this, because nerds can be awesome. Researchers back in 1996 created a model based on the basilisk lizard, which does run on water.

For a human, the key parameters for the calculation are weight, foot size, step frequency, and depth each step pushes into the water. The force comes from both the initial slap against the water's surface tension and then the foot stroke through the water.

Step frequency and power

The original researchers used a step frequency of a normal human sprinter, taking roughly four steps per second. But this is Flash or Dash, so I removed that limit, using data from Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay as a starting point to go from step frequency to running speed.

The more steps you take, the less force each one has to provide.

After some boring math, we get the minimum speed the foot needs to hit the water being 27 m/s, or just 60 mph. But maintaining that speed when stroking through the water would require roughly 14 times an average human's power output.

Dash's estimated speed

What about Dash? With less weight, smaller feet, and more steps to cover ground, he could be a bit slower than Barry, but still about half again as fast as Usain Bolt's record, with way more power.

And how fast was he going in the movie? If we assume a typical security camera at 10 frames per second, and him traveling roughly 25 feet each way, he would have to move at least 500 feet per second to not get caught on camera.

That is 341 mph, with insane acceleration. So yeah, this checks out.

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Additional Notes

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Keywords and topics

  • Dash running on water
  • The Flash physics
  • Basilisk lizard locomotion
  • Human water running
  • Movie science

References