Why Batgirl Couldn't Survive a Single Night

Batgirl fires her grapple at a stone gargoyle, steps off a tower and swings into the dark, and the gargoyle has been bolted to that building since 1932. We follow her through one night on the rooftops, one problem at a time: whether a single hook can hold a person's weight, why a thin line and a safe line fight each other, what sliding down a rope does to bare palms, how long eyes take to adjust to the dark and what one flash does to them, why roofs are one of the deadliest workplaces there is, what a wig does when you run, sweat and get grabbed, and what military training does to a body. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:52 - The Hook Problem 02:42 - The Line Problem 04:40 - The Hands Problem 06:29 - The Dark Problem 08:02 - The Roof Problem 09:35 - The Wig Problem 11:10 - The Training Problem 12:42 - Conclusion Sources: Pendulum loading and anchor forces in climbing and rescue engineering. Rope strength, stretch and shock loading in rope-access standards. Friction burns and fast-rope equipment in military and rescue medicine. Dark adaptation and the effect of bright light on night vision in vision science. Falls from roofs in construction safety statistics. Heat retention in head coverings in thermal physiology. Stress fractures and sex differences in military recruits in sports and military medicine. This video applies real science to a fictional character for educational and entertainment purposes only. #batgirl #KateKane #Batman #DCComics #Gotham