TOPIC: New Category of Challenge

Since Helium only has a buoyant force of about 0.067 lb/ft^3 it wouldn't be able to lift much - it would more likely just slow the fall...

For more information, take a look here (http://science.howstuffworks.com/helium2.htm) .

Boy, do I regret making a silly comment on this thread. I should have known better.

Since Helium only has a buoyant force of about 0.067 lb/ft^3 it wouldn't be able to lift much - it would more likely just slow the fall...

For more information, take a look here (http://science.howstuffworks.com/helium2.htm) .

Boy, do I regret making a silly comment on this thread. I should have known better.

Well... I tend to research ideas... Your comment wasn't totally silly, so I wanted to figure out where the fact/silliness line was crossed. So, Ta Da

It was a good silly comment though.

And I was very skeptical of the guy who tied helium balloons to his lawn chair and went for a ride.

It wasn't merely helium balloons, in that case. It was those enormous weather balloons (meant for carrying meteorological equipment into the sky) and he used a lot of them, I think.

Hrm - maybe that's a good Urban Legend to verify at snopes.com... only their site doesn't seem to be responding just at the moment. Otherwise, I'd provide a link. Maybe later...

Oh , here we go (just 'cuz I like researching Urban Legend stuff):

www.snopes.com/spoons/noose/balloon.htm

- Raven

Well, here's the flying lawn chair from Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/spoons/noose/balloon.htm

It's actually been done (with weather balloons), but I think the urban legend predates the actual event. So, it's likely the guy was inspired by the urban legend. It's one of those with the chicken and egg phenomenon. And the whole account has been highly fictionalized over the years, but there you go.

We'd have to be careful about liability issues, but that is a very good suggestion.

Well dang... there goes my suggestion of a twisty rope ladder hung precariously over hot coals...

I did have fun at a Ren Faire trying to climb up the slightly angled rope ladder/hammock to ring the bell. If you were to place that over a good bed of cushion it may be safe... and challenging.