• OldChicoAle@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    20 hours ago

    You try to save them all by tackling the guy on the second track. The train is 400m from the wye in the track but 375m from the point the second person can decide to flip the switch. You are 270m from the second person. The train travels at a steady 15m/s. You start running at an acceleration of 0.5m/s/s. Can you tackle the second person to prevent them from flipping the switch? Assume flipping the switch means killing the poor tied up folks.

    I dunno. I just made up numbers though.

    • iii@mander.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      7 hours ago

      You try to save them all by tackling the guy on the second track

      Or ask the train driver to stop

    • Corhen@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      20 hours ago

      I assume if they DON’T flip it, it gets passed yo the next guy with 4 people tied to the track.

      33junctions down the road, and it’s the population of the earth tied down.

      • OldChicoAle@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        8 hours ago

        Yes but that is literally the opposite of the premise I presented. That’s how it’s normally seen, but this is just fun and dumb high school physics question. K thx bai