Skip to content

Can a Penny Kill You?

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

By Alexander Hili

A long-standing urban legend suggests that a penny dropped from a great height, let’s say the Empire State Building, kills. The penny should speed up and pass through a person’s skull easily.

In reality, the penny would probably just annoy a pedestrian. Even a penny is limited. All objects reach a terminal velocity when they are in free fall for long enough. They do not keep speeding up.

The problem with a penny is that it is flat, small, and light. A gust of wind or updraft would break its fall. So for anyone who accidentally lets a penny drop from his or her fingers, relax, don’t worry the streets are safe.

Author

More to Explore

Smooth Operator: Improving Surface Finish in Additive Manufacturing

While the advent of 3D metal printing may redefine how designers develop parts for products, the process itself is not without faults. Andre Giordimaina speaks with THINK about the GLAM Project, which aims to improve the process of 3D metal printing by optimising the finish and performance of designed parts.

Beyond What Drifts Us Apart

Beyond What Drifts Us Apart is a long-term art project conceptualised and curated by the acclaimed Maltese curator, Elyse Tonna. The 2024 edition took place in and around Gozo’s Dwejra Tower, which proved to be an abundant source of inspiration for this year’s selection of international and interdisciplinary artists. The exhibit was open to the public for a week through a variety of workshops and performances.

Finding a Home in Malta

Getting on the property ladder is incredibly difficult. Unless you are fortunate enough that your parents already own several properties, you will most likely be stuck for the rest of your adult life paying off your first (and possibly only) one-bedroom apartment. Is this grim future set in stone, or are there more creative solutions?

Comments are closed for this article!