The Science of Fairy Tales

If you've ever wondered how Rapunzel's scalp could survive a witch and a prince climbing up her hair, you're not alone. I found these articles online:

Inside Science News Service (American Institute of Physics)

National Geographic

Both agree that if Rapunzel were to wrap her hair around a bedpost and then lower it, she'd survive without losing her scalp because the bedpost would act as the anchor point rather than her skull.

I still think it would kind of hurt, though.

The National Geographic article goes on to point out that it would take a lot of effort for a goose to lay a golden egg rather than the normal soft, pliable egg. "The industrious goose would therefore shoot away from its egg with the same coniderable amount of force required to lay the egg."

I really, really like that image.