# Spider-Man's webs wouldn't work--at all!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-mans-webs-wouldnt-work-at-all/688674>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 18, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-mans-webs-wouldnt-work-at-all/688674 "2014-05-18T06:56:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-mans-webs-wouldnt-work-at-all/688674/21 "2014-05-19T19:57:52Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Quoth **Dex** :
> 
> I ain’t no physicist, but I beg to differ. What damages things is impact, the sudden stopping after high acceleration.

The sudden stop _is_ the acceleration, and it’s the fact that it doesn’t apply to everything at once that makes it dangerous. If two things have different accelerations, then they’ll end up moving relative to one another, and if the two things moving relative to one another are parts of the same thing, the thing will break.

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-mans-webs-wouldnt-work-at-all/688674/22 "2014-05-19T20:01:40Z")

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> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> [What killed Richard](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsp-nrf_8KQ)? (Warning - possibly disturbing video)
> 
> Except that Supes has an “aura of invulnerability” that he can put around objects and people he catches. This allows him to do things like lift an aircraft carrier out of the water, horizontally, and it holds together in one piece. It should hold Lois in one piece too.

Then Larry Niven [was wrong](http://www.rawbw.com/~svw/superman.html). 😃

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-mans-webs-wouldnt-work-at-all/688674/23 "2014-05-19T20:29:02Z")

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> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> Except that Supes has an “aura of invulnerability” that he can put around objects and people he catches. This allows him to do things like lift an aircraft carrier out of the water, horizontally, and it holds together in one piece. It should hold Lois in one piece too.

The “aura of invulnerability” is not necessary. As usual, film, television and comic representations of Superman’s actions are produced for dramatic effect. Superman would simply catch Lois on a downward trajectory slowing gradually enough to prevent serious injury.

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