My Goliath Challenge

[AV1611VET]

Read 1 Samuel 17, then:

1. Explain how those who scientifically assessed the situation were rendered useless.
2. Explain how David's science-can-take-a-hike approach was justified.

 

[RickG]

Read 1 Samuel 17, then:

1. Explain how those who scientifically assessed the situation were rendered useless.
2. Explain how David's science-can-take-a-hike approach was justified.

Science did not take a hike, physics prevailed. F = ma

F = force
m = mass
a = acceleration

David by taking a stone with a given "mass" put it into a sling which enabled him to increase the "acceleration" by spinning it in a circular motion faster than anyone possibly could do without the extension of the sling. Looking at the above formula it is easy to see that increased acceleration is also going to increase "force".

Science took Goliath down.

 

[AV1611VET]

Science did not take a hike, physics prevailed. F = ma

F = force
m = mass
a = acceleration

David by taking a stone with a given "mass" put it into a sling which enabled him to increase the "acceleration" by spinning it in a circular motion faster than anyone possibly could do without the extension of the sling. Looking at the above formula it is easy to see that increased acceleration is also going to increase "force".

No one else could have done that?

Science took Goliath down.

So I heard.

David's use of a geologic projectile, coupled with advanced trajectory calculus and anatomical vulnerability placement is what brought Goliath down.

 

[RickG]

No one else could have done that?

Sure they could have. But God chose David instead of Achmed, Ralph or Julie.

 

[AV1611VET]

Sure they could have. But God chose David instead of Achmed, Ralph or Julie.

In the meantime, care to answer my challenge?

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

In the meantime, care to answer my challenge?

Your challenge is phrased in a way that makes people have to agree with you by answering. Kind of like "Steve, have you stopped beating your wife?" If Steve says "yes", he admits that he was once a wife beater. If Steve says "no", he is saying that he still beats his wife.

So your challenge is quite pointless and no one cares.

Find a new hobby.

 

[Assyrian]

If David's approach was 'science can take a hike' why the sling?

 

[AV1611VET]

If David's approach was 'science can take a hike' why the sling?

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

 

[Assyrian]

And the works in this case was stone age weapon technology.

 

[Tiberius]

Read 1 Samuel 17, then:

1. Explain how those who scientifically assessed the situation were rendered useless.
2. Explain how David's science-can-take-a-hike approach was justified.

What are you talking about? David took a stone, placed it in a sling, hit the bad guy in the head and killed him.

How does science take a hike in this?

 

[Jazer]

Science did not take a hike, physics prevailed. F = ma

F = force
m = mass
a = acceleration

David by taking a stone with a given "mass" put it into a sling which enabled him to increase the "acceleration" by spinning it in a circular motion faster than anyone possibly could do without the extension of the sling. Looking at the above formula it is easy to see that increased acceleration is also going to increase "force".

Science took Goliath down.

David had the low tech weapon. A stone, stick and sling most likely made from an animal skin. Goliath had the high tech armor and spear. So the high tech weapon should have won out over the low tech weapon. For David to get his small projectile past that armor then he must have has some skill. Of course I am sure he had a lot of time to practice. There was not much else to do back then. Goliath seemed to feel confident that his armor would protect him against that little stone. David most likely had a longer range and distance with his stone then Goliath had with his spear and sword.

Anyone want to give your science a try? Give us the spear and you can have the little stone, sense you have so much faith in science and the stone winning out over the spear.

 

[Jazer]

What are you talking about? David took a stone, placed it in a sling, hit the bad guy in the head and killed him.

And THEN killed him. The stone knocked him out, David then used his own sword to cut off his head. After the battle he was able to keep the sword because all of Goliaths friend took off running. But no one every actually used it because it was to big and heavy for the average sized person.

 

[Tiberius]

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

And in reading the passage, it looks to me like it was the sling, not his face, that got the job done!

 

[Jazer]

And in reading the passage, it looks to me like it was the sling, not his face, that got the job done!

Then according to science it should be no problem for you to duplicate and get the same results.

 

[Tiberius]

Then according to science it should be no problem for you to duplicate and get the same results.

What, I should be able to use a slingshot to whack a stone into another guy's forehead and kill him?

Well, yeah, I suppose I could if I wanted to, but I don't really fancy the idea of hurting or killing someone.

Do you think that I wouldn't be able to do it? That I could smack a stone into someone's face and it wouldn't harm them?

 

[Cromulent]

Did you guys ever stop to think that all the times some plucky Israelite took on a spear-wielding armoured soldier with nothing but a sling, and promptly got cut into small pieces might not have been considered for inclusion in a book covering thousands of years of history? It's the improbable and surprising that gets written down.

 

[TemperateSeaIsland]

Slings were used in warfare up to and including the medieval period. They were effective weapons and no miracle is needed.

 

[RickG]

Then according to science it should be no problem for you to duplicate and get the same results.

Jazer, it is nothing more than simple Newtonian physics. The increased arc rendered by the use of the sling simple allows more force to be applied to the mass. F = ma is a physical law, it does not change.

 

[Freodin]

David and Goliath is an interesting story, and one can find different moral conclusions within it. (I liked the moral: those who cheat best win.)

But to use it in some way as an argument against science: the irony is priceless... yet exactly what I have become to expect from AV.

 

[RickG]

David had the low tech weapon. A stone, stick and sling most likely made from an animal skin. Goliath had the high tech armor and spear. So the high tech weapon should have won out over the low tech weapon.

The high tech weapon did win. The spear is a low tech weapon, all Goliath could do was throw the spear. The fact that it is pointed on one end does not make it high tech. On the other hand the sling can be manipulated to create more force by increasing the arc of the sling or the mass of the object being slung. All the armor did for Goliath was to slow him down and make him more vulnerable.