# Now everyone can fly! (Hypothetical: humanity gains the power of Superman-like flight. Read OP) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 8, 2013, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773 "2013-05-08T07:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/21 "2013-05-08T18:50:18Z")
> [@slalexan](#): > > We would finally be able to play quidditch the way it is supposed to be played. This was my first thought when I saw the OP! šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/22 "2013-05-08T19:02:21Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Parachute manufacturers enjoy an upturn in business. Yes but shoe makers are in a bad way. Shoes last much longer. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/23 "2013-05-08T19:08:00Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Teenagers and young adults attempt to go too far up, lose consciousness from lack of oxygen, and fall to their deaths. Thereā€™s a series of nationwide PSAā€™s warning kids not to get high. Brilliant. There are dangers as mentioned upthread about flying under the influence. I think that people would hire themselves out as ā€œescortsā€ to help people home from the bars. Iā€™d pay a couple bucks for someone to hold my arm so I donā€™t crash into a tree. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/24 "2013-05-08T19:08:57Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Parachute manufacturers enjoy an upturn in business. Same for the Umbrella Industry.šŸ˜‰ I, for one, would _never_ be without one! ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/25 "2013-05-08T19:20:29Z")
Beware the gangs of hooligans with their battle kites! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/26 "2013-05-08T20:07:11Z")
Muggers will swoop down from above. So will police officers. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/27 "2013-05-08T21:43:29Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > There would still be fat lazy MOFOā€™s who wouldnā€™t be interested in anything resembling effort or physical exertion. I dunno, man. I am fat as shit but if flying were an option, Iā€™d get my ass in the gym in \*very \*short order. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/28 "2013-05-08T21:51:01Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Understood. But presuming that only an ultra-marathon standard athlete would be making the attempt in the first place, they can stay up there as long as their endurance holds out (with, if theyā€™re smart, enough to descend under control to where they can deploy a wing or a 'chute). The point is that if you can maintain ā€œpowerā€ you donā€™t need to worry about orbital velocity, which applies only to an unpowered trajectory. OK. I stand by my previous statement - you can go to _space_, but thatā€™s not the same thing as getting into orbit - you wouldnā€™t be able, by means of flight, to insert yourself into a proper orbit. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/29 "2013-05-08T22:19:02Z")
I have to wonder if fat people wouldnā€™t actually make better fliers - theyā€™d got more of an energy reserve, and after all you arenā€™t flying with your _muscles._ Iā€™ll also say that this is a HUGE boon to anyone presently confined to a wheelchair. Or even someone with a more temporary problem like a broken leg. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/30 "2013-05-09T00:04:14Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I have to wonder if fat people wouldnā€™t actually make better fliers - theyā€™d got more of an energy reserve, and after all you arenā€™t flying with your _muscles._ Could be a problem - for reasons not fully understood or explained, flight ability is somehow related to physical fitness (hence you can do it if you can run). Energy reserves would be useful, but only if you also have physical stamina. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/31 "2013-05-09T00:49:02Z")
How would fixed wing aircraft stop to let flying ā€œpedestriansā€ pass? "Iā€™m flying here!!! _Iā€™M FLYING HERE!!!"_ ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/32 "2013-05-09T01:05:31Z")
Certain sports need some rules adjustment - American football among them. High jump, broad jump and pole vault become meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/33 "2013-05-09T04:19:56Z")
Prisons would have to be more confining. Security at something like a baseball stadium would be interesting, since anyone could just fly in. New apartment buildings would be designed that had no interior hallways, just exterior windows to get in/out. Attractions based around being high up wouldnā€™t do so well since anyone can fly high and snap a scenic photo. People would buy wrist-band attachments for their cellphone after accidentally dropping them from high up becomes a common problem. Down below, people may start habitually wearing hardhats or umbrellas. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/34 "2013-05-09T04:48:53Z")
Drowning would be a thing of the past, excepting the physically unfit. Simply stop swimming and fly instead. Diving-board manufacturers would go out of business. Trampoline sales would either plummet or skyrocket; possibly both. q;} Extreme sports such as skydiving, free climbing, and the like would become boring. Extreme sports would progress to land or underground activity, such as spelunking or the caber toss. Regular sports would need strict rules limiting flight. Who cares if you can make an 8-foot leap to slam dunk a basketball when the rest of the opposing team is hovering above the basket? Baseball outfielders would routinely catch home-run hits, and American football would reward speed over bulk. Soccer would remain boring. Construction sites would need far less scaffolding. Buildings could be built taller, more quickly, for cheaper. Pizza delivery would become faster, within a limited radius, and more profitable. Roller blade sales would increase. Skateboards would come with an ankle strap or similar restraint. Bicycles, excepting the European FlightCycle, would be used only by the young and old. The Segway would look even sillier to ride than it does now. I can imagine, however, their use increasing, especially in downtown areas and airportsā€¦ places where large numbers of people have to walk medium distances, and flying is impractical. Clothing styles would change. Similar to a jogging suit, flying suits would evolve, tending towards either skin-tight for maximum speed, or loose and flowing for the dramatic billowing robes effect. Weather resistance (including rain, cold, and insect impact) would be a primary factor; goggles would be worn, if not helmets. Pedestrians would tend towards hardhats and umbrellas, as mentioned above, and sidewalk awnings would become once again popular. Evil undead zombie pirates would continue to wear whatever they were wearing when they died. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/35 "2013-05-09T12:16:34Z")
And then comes the backlash: studies indicate flying causes erectile disfunction or cancer; religious groups claim ascending is for Jesus only, and if God had meant man to fly, heā€™d have given us wings; politicians insist that [totally unrelated issue] is due to the other partyā€™s interference or non-interference with the basic right to fly; Halloween trick-or-treating is outlawed, because you just know teenagers are gonna think flying out the sky dressed as a vampire to scare a bunch of little kids is hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/36 "2013-05-09T17:22:58Z")
Insurance Companies will have a field day. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/37 "2013-05-09T18:56:59Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > How would fixed wing aircraft stop to let flying ā€œpedestriansā€ pass? "Iā€™m flying here!!! _Iā€™M FLYING HERE!!!"_ The aircraft would have the right of way, as they are less maneuverable. Hmmā€¦I wonder what the military would do with this. ---
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/38 "2013-05-10T00:50:39Z")
Given the OP specifies humans are no tougher than normal, Iā€™m fairly certain half the population goes blind as they fly face-first into buzzing insects at 60-70 miles/hour. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/39 "2013-05-10T02:07:08Z")
> [@Reyemile](#): > > Given the OP specifies humans are no tougher than normal, Iā€™m fairly certain half the population goes blind as they fly face-first into buzzing insects at 60-70 miles/hour. Nah, people just wear goggles. Or full helmets/facemasks - I donā€™t want to accidentally _eat_ any insects either. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773/40 "2013-05-10T02:23:09Z")
Funniest home video shows would get a lot more intersting. Old people would start telling kids to get out of their airspace. Sales of umbrellas and hard-hats would increase. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-everyone-can-fly-hypothetical-humanity-gains-the-power-of-superman-like-flight-read-op/657773.md?page=3)