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Ever since the release of the first full-length trailer for J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, hardcore science fiction geeks have had one thing on their minds: what in the heck (they don’t swear) is up with that young Kirk jumping from a car scene? Some of us wondered about the scene’s relevance and/or place in a Star Trek movie. We got the point, Kirk is supposed to be a badass on the edge like Maverick from Top Gun (complete with his own long dusty road motorcycle ride), we just didn’t know why it needed to be told in such a blatantly silly way. Others, such as author Adam Weiner, took up the mantle of science and set out to explore the plausibility of such a stunt.

In his incredibly complex calculations, all of which can be seen over at PopSci.com, Weiner figured that it would take 877 lbs. of force to stop little Kirk at his estimated velocity. That means… well, I will let him explain it:

So what does all of this mean? It means that since the only thing(s) slowing him down are his fingers digging into the ground, James T. Kirk will have to exert a force of almost 900 pounds with those fingers to stop from being flung over the precipice.

You have to love the detail oriented nature of so many science fiction buffs. It has me wondering whether or not a commercially viable director such as J.J. Abrams knew what he was getting into when he took on Star Trek; its not just about story, not just about special effects, these fans are looking for their fiction to have deep roots in science. This, in my personal opinion, is what makes the world of science fiction so much fun.

For more demystifications from Adam Weiner, you can check out his book Don’t Try This At Home!: The Physics of Hollywood Movies.

[via /Film]