Editing 620: Wings

{{comic
| number    = 620
| date      = August 7, 2009
| title     = Wings
| image     = wings.png
| titletext = Please do not try any of this and die or get arrested.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] explains to [[Megan]] that the gravity on {{w|Titan (moon)|Titan}} is far lighter than the gravity on {{w|Earth}}, allowing him to fly given the appropriate technology. Cueball has already put together the apparatus necessary to test this: by weighing himself down sufficiently, he can recreate the effects of Titan's gravity. He uses this to fly around, expressing his delight at being able to do so, only Megan points out a fatal flaw: his wings use hot glue, which can easily be melted by a large heat source, and [[Black Hat]] is waiting nearby with a large heat source. Naturally, Cueball falls.

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. {{w|Icarus}} was a character in Greek mythology who is most famous for the fatal end of his flight, when the wax holding the wings together melted and he fell to his death in what became known as the {{w|Icarian Sea}}. In the original, this was because Icarus ignored instructions not to fly too close to the Sun (often taken as tragic examples of hubris); here Black Hat is bringing an artificial "sun" (the heat lamp) to "Icarus" to recreate the tragedy.

In the title text, Randall asks that xkcd readers do not attempt to reproduce this. The reason for this is explained here [[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/254:_Comic_Fragment]].

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Titan's gravity is 14% of Earth's, and its atmosphere 50% denser.

:Cueball: So if you can generate 9% of your body weight in lift, you can fly on Titan.

:Cueball: With wings, a stage harness, a cable, and 91% of my weight in bricks, I want to test this.
:[There is a heap of materials on the ground. Cueball is holding a stage harness.]

:[Large diagram of a bridge. A rope leads through pulleys tied to the bridge. One end goes to Cueball, one end to a pile of bricks.]

:[Cueball is standing with wings attached to his arms.]

:[Cueball flaps the wings, and appears to be floating.]

:[Cueball glides.]

:Cueball: It works!
:Megan: Except you have two problems.
:Cueball: What?

:Megan: You used hot glue on your wing joints and you have friends into Greek mythology.
:Cueball: Huh?

:[Black Hat is standing on the bridge, with a large lamp labeled "heat lamp" attached to a battery.]

:[The wing segments fall off Cueball and he tumbles downward.]

==Trivia==
Incidentally, Icarus [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1566_Icarus] got an asteroid named for him. It regularly flies too close to the sun.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Wingsuit]]