# Battering strength of the human skull
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battering-strength-of-the-human-skull/681502
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 17, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battering-strength-of-the-human-skull/681502 "2014-02-17T00:05:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battering-strength-of-the-human-skull/681502/1 "2014-02-17T00:05:10Z")
I just saw _World War Z_ and (minor spoiler) there’s a scene where zombies are bashing their way into enclosed cars by headbutting windshields and side windows. I take it as a given that the zombies feel no pain and are highly motivated to get inside. It’s never stated that bitten individuals’ bone structure changes upon zombification. Could a typical human skull withstand one or more purposeful bashes on a windshield without being pulverized?
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### Author:  [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battering-strength-of-the-human-skull/681502/2 "2014-02-17T00:09:59Z")
[Well, there’s this guy.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ya3OS4bEj8)
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battering-strength-of-the-human-skull/681502/3 "2014-02-17T00:21:53Z")
i’ll get back to you in a minute.
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battering-strength-of-the-human-skull/681502/4 "2014-02-17T01:10:55Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> Could a typical human skull withstand one or more purposeful bashes on a windshield without being pulverized?
Aren’t windshields these days designed to crack easily for safety reasons, precisely so that in the event that a passenger’s head gets knocked into the windshield, it’s the window that gives first ? [Practical demonstration](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWn27Vxhsa0), dude even talks like a zombie 🙂 (though obviously, movie magic cannot be ruled out)
In the movies at least, people get catapulted through windshields all the time, not always with much ill-effect.
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### Author:  [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battering-strength-of-the-human-skull/681502/5 "2014-02-17T01:58:46Z")
[http://youtu.be/Abj2XJabsw0](http://youtu.be/Abj2XJabsw0)
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battering-strength-of-the-human-skull/681502/6 "2014-02-17T05:57:29Z")
Wow. I guess it could work.