It’s half term and the boy wanted to carry out an experiment (or speriment as he says…).

Take one innocent melon

Drop said yellow victim from higher and higher until its fleshy outer succumbs, in this case 1.4m

Then, using a recently retired bicycle helmet, recreate said drop test.

The scientists discovered that the melon didn’t crack until 3.0m (which was lucky as the scientists didn’t have a bigger ladder).

https://i.imgur.com/XzPtr06.mp4

so there you have, conclusive proof that if you have a soft yellow head get yourself a helmet. Also, carry out experiments where you get to eat the results.

So to do this safety ‘speriment, you wore flip-flops on a ladder 😂

Safety flip flops (obvs).  I am well known at work for the “sandals of invincibility”.  These give me the special power of standing back and pointing at what needs to be done.  That and hold the rubber clipboard 😀

So that means you can drop safely on your head, off the ladder, from 2m with the helmet on.

Good news! I love science 🤪

Playhouse needs jet washed.

In addition to replicating the scenario of your child being decapitated whilst up a ladder I assume you’ll be performing a set of more transport-related experiments such as mounting melons on a tripod on a zebra crossing and driving a car into them, or borrowing a tailor’s dummy to place inside the car with a replacement melon head while you drive another car into it 😉

Is that Pampas Grass?

Dirty boy!

Nah, the house did have the biggest pampas I’ve ever seen when we moved in, could be seen for MILES… 😉

future experiments will involve live candidates for realism.

Kind of a mix between Coronation Street and Brainiacs .. both nonsense and mean/prove nothing … but take up about half hour of your time.

Child up a ladder (no safety shoes), with a head height roughly 1.4m above concrete paving slabs. Why is he not wearing a safety helmet???

Oh, adult and child balancing on a ladder, above concrete paving slabs, neither has safety helmets on!

Funny how we have skewed view of risk.

This place has got odd lately. It was just a half hour of fun with my boy,  nobody is in danger, it’s not meant to be serious.

It’s clearly obvious that neither of you have been on your health and safety ladder usage course 😀

Did you **** your head off those wooden beams when you climbed the ladder?

Did you tread on the skateboard and fly backwards in to the ladder?

if not then I demand a refund

Well done, I’m now not sure who I’d like slap most, that annoying father and son on BGT or you and you’re boy.

*your boy

you want to slap a 6 year old?

I’m deeply confused, why exactly?

I like your methodology and so does mini sims.

Thought he might be a bit older and melons not be quite so literal. Iz disappoint. 😉

RM.

Yes, if only to teach him to him to ignore his sanctimonious  prick of a dad

Ok, bit weird now. Do you have a private issue with me that I’m not aware of? Do I know you?

I’m struggling to see how a bloke messing about with his 6yr old can elicit such a reaction. I can only conclude the issue lies elsewhere. Can you please let me know WTF it is?

Well i approve.  Extra points for a picture of you hanging your boy upside down from the ladder wearing a helmet of course.  All excuses for home experiments are always good

And melons. I love a melons thread

This place has got odd lately

Yeah, “lately”.

wilburt, are you actually trying to be funny or are you really that much of a ****?

Yes, if only to teach him to him to ignore his sanctimonious  prick of a dad.

Somebody got out of bed the wrong side this morning

My views on helmets are well known.  I saw this as a bit of dad / son fun, a bit of looking into how experiments work and nothing more.
Why a couple of folk got their knickers in such a twist is beyond me.

I say good on you pictonroad

Pictonroad, … neat experiment … a bit of fun.

Wilburt …. ??? ….

So a dad just has an idea to share a bit of time with his son outdoors on a sunny day and share it online…..and gets some real grief for it.

Most of the time this is a great forum but occasionally just one or two posts really ruin it.

My views on helmets are well known

I’m a libertarian, people can wear them if they like, what other people do without affecting others is their domain, bothers me not. Just teaching him about theory and how to document an experiment. I’ll get him to write it up properly and share it in class.

Ignore nobs above.

An excellent experiment that I shall replicate once my boy is a little older….   🙂

Loved the experiment, great thing to do with your son.

Great experiment. Making kids question things rather than just accepting things without thinking. Good daddery.

Love it.

A more thorough fun test would be to fire the melon head from some kind of device, replicating speed and ‘smearing’…

next time you could video the impacts and if anyone cuts up rough about it, send the cantaloupe video

Awesome! A proper little chap Dad task!!! Nice one!

Great to see the thread ended in a more positive way! 😃

Oddly, reminded me of the Great Egg Race tv series, remember that??!! 😳

Nice dad/lad experiment, OP.

Scaredypants’ comment wins Sunday’s interweb, though. 😀

I think that the next stage should be the rifle sighting/exploding melon scene from The Day Of The Jackal, with and without cycle helmets.

Is no one going to mention the hedgehog? I’m disappointed you didn’t draw a face on the melon.

All this shows is baldies are goid for 3m presumably hairies can go a wee bit higher?

You didnt fit the helmet using manufacturer recommendations. Can i use duct tape?

Oddly, reminded me of the Great Egg Race tv series, remember that??!!

Professor Hienz Wolfe and all that. Ace programme. A bit like Crystal Maze, I bet a re-run would highlight that we as a nation now lack problem solving and creativity skills…

Anyway, back to amusing melon experiments…

I’m appalled by the lack of testing for rotational forces in the event of an oblique impact

A more thorough fun test would be to fire the melon head from some kind of device, replicating speed and ‘smearing’…

Yeah, smearing, that’s what I meant 🙂

Anyway, back to amusing melon experiments…

Nice one, I am always doing random, sometimes daft nonsense with the kids and they love it. Funny enough it is often that sort of thing that they bring up in conversation years later and not the stuff we would expect them to remember.

This place has got odd lately. It was just a half hour of fun with my boy,  nobody is in danger

You have read WCAs threads, haven’t you?