There is no firm consensus on how fast The Flash, the DC universe's speediest superhero, can run. One story clocks him at 2,535 miles per hour (over 4,000km/h), for instance, which is faster than most fighter jets. While in Zack Snyder's Justice League, he runs faster than the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second - so fast, in fact, that he violates the laws of physics and turns back time. What is certain, however, is that for the likes of you and me, running at those speeds would be as unlikely as they would be perilous. Our faces would melt, our legs would break apart... I can barely do the 'Couch to 5K' plan as it is.
So how fast can human beings run? For that, we would need to look at the closest thing humanity has to The Flash: retired sprinter Usain Bolt.
In 2009, Bolt set a new world record by running the 100m sprint in 9.58 seconds achieving a top speed of 27mph (43km/h) - at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. It's a record that is yet to be broken and, according to Mark Denny, a biology professor at Stanford, perhaps never will be.
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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THE HUNGER GAME
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HOW THE UNIVERSE WILL END
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TAKE-OFF AT LAST
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The map is now the highest-resolution picture of the human brain ever created
HOW THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN NUCLEAR FORENSICS MAY HELP CLEAN UP CHERNOBYL
Contrary to popular belief, radioactive material doesn't glow. But a team of nuclear forensics experts are working on a device to make it do just that. BBC Science Focus's Noa Leach meets the scientists behind the innovative device
MAJOR STUDY SHOWS HOW ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS CHANGE YOUR LIFESPAN, IF YOU'RE NOT EATING YOUR VEG
While ultra-processed food is bad for your health, a decades-long study suggests it may not be as harmful as previously thought
ORIGIN OF EARTH'S 'SECOND MOON' DISCOVERED
Asteroid sampling mission will confirm whether moon-like Kamo'oalewa came from our Moon
INTERMITTENT FASTING AND CORRECTLY TIMED WORKOUTS ARE KEY TO FAT LOSS, SAYS STUDY
A new approach to dieting and exercise could help you lose weight and enhance your health
MASSIVE EXPLOSION SPOTTED ON MYSTERIOUS DEAD STAR
A satellite in the right place at the right time captured an important cosmic sight
