1/2/2024 0 Comments Quicksand in moviesIf the Alligator Man had just kept his head and stopped flailing away, futilely grasping for distant vines, he could have likely survived long enough to make a sequel. By not fighting it, the body will eventually emerge in the supine position. Should you encounter quicksand somewhere along the way, remain calm. At this level of density, science says, sinking beyond about waist deep is impossible. Quicksand has a density of about two grams per milliliter, where the density of the body is only about one gram. In scientific terms, it is impossible for a human to sink entirely into quicksand due to the higher density of the fluid. Any combination looks like the real stuff. Movie quicksand was generally a byproduct of some mixture of oatmeal, ground wine corks, water, sawdust, and vermiculite-a fine to coarse silicate grain used in garden soil aeration. Alas, atop the castaway’s shifting sand rested the hats of Mr. TV sitcoms “Get Smart” and “The Lucy Show” had quicksand scenes and “Gilligan’s Island had not one but two. Other famous such scenes include “Blazing Saddles” (1974) and “The Hound of the Baskersville (1959). The saddest quicksand moment may have been when the horse drowns in “The Neverending Story” (1984). Should professional help be available, always wait for a rescue as wiggling yourself out of quicksand could take quite a while, and it is possible that the prolonged pressure of quicksand on the body could cause damage or difficulty breathing.Most film critics agree that the best and most realistic of all played out in” Lawrence of Arabia” (1962). The unflappable Bear Grylls displayed just such an escape method in one of his survival guides. However, it is possible to float your way out by slowly and calmly wiggling your body into a horizontal position, according to experts. So how do you survive should you ever find yourself in this sticky mess?Īsking someone to pull you out could easily lead to injury or someone else becoming stuck as it is estimated the force necessary to pull a foot out of quicksand is the same as lifting a medium-sized car. The true killer of quicksand victims is exposure or possible drowning in nearby rising tides. The grainy mixture increases in viscosity as whatever is trapped in the quicksand struggles, making it extremely hard to get out of, particular if the victim is panicking and becoming exhausted. Often the sand on top may appear solid, but with the added pressure of a footstep, the sand will mix with the water beneath it forming a thick sludge. Often these traps are found near the periphery or edge of natural water sources. Quicksand occurs when fine sediment such as clay, sand, silt, or other grainy soil becomes saturated with water, typically from a subterranean source. In fact, studies have found it is impossible to be completely submerged in quicksand because humans are less dense than quicksand and a person would only sink to their chest before they begin to float.īut what can make quicksand deadly is its ability to trap and hold unsuspecting victims. Whether in movies or on TV, any consumer of popular media will be familiar with tales of quicksand swallowing people and animals whole, but as is often found in movies and entertainment, the science and reality behind the fantasy don’t always add up. Quicksand may not be the horrific danger we see portrayed in popular movies and television.
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