On TikTok, though dumb trends and ridiculous people can cause one to question whether humanity is truly at an evolved state, sometimes there can be some good amidst the sea of nonsense, as a new video about Jell-O and flight turbulence demonstrates.
In the re-shared clip above, a TikTok user named Anna Paul explains the best way to view turbulence on a flight is as if a pea were trying to move through a gelatinous membrane. She claims equal pressure from the top, bottom and sides of the aircraft will keep the plane suspended, like the pea in the Jell-O, and not cause a plane to fall, and while turbulence can be deeply uncomfortable (this writer developed some PTSD from one intensely bad flight), no plane has ever crashed as a result of it. Apparently, this is how pilots themselves the aerial phenomenon. In reports from outlets like FOX Weather, experienced airmen have said this is indeed the case, but, for some, it doesn’t help with the stress.
“But what if the turbulence causes me to miss 5 years of my life?”
Safaa1847.xx – July 19, 2023.
However, in a follow-up video to Paul’s initial one, no less than astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson debunked and clarified a few of Paul’s claims. In his remarks, he does warn that flight turbulence can be dangerous, and could cause injuries to people on board if it is impacting a plane to a severe extent. He advises that the best thing you can do to protect yourself is, in essence, to reinforce your suspension in the Jell-O by wearing your seatbelt. Those in Tyson’s comments, meanwhile, say they are more afraid than ever before, and offer that maybe he should have just kept things simple.
“You could have just left us with the simpler jelly version. Like, she did good.”
JuddersJess – Jan. 13, 2023.
Those who want to read more about the physics of it can do so on the National Weather Service’s site.
