An ant may be able to survive me flicking it – but proportionally-speaking, I would not be able to survive such a thing. Is it happenstance that this is the case? Is there a “perfect” size for this universe?
In: Physics
The square-cube law gives scale to the universe. If you were scaled down 100 times you’d weigh 1000000 times less but you’d be 10000 times weaker. So, relatively, you’d be 100 times stronger and could survive being flicked.
It’s not just strength and weight; many other things about how your body works are affected in the same way. Some are related to surface area and scale by a square law; others are related to volume and scale with a cube law. That’s why different sized animals have different shapes and work in different ways. Insects don’t even need lungs to breathe as large animals do. And if we really could scale you down 100 times like Ant Man, you’d die instantly.
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