I found this video jaw-dropping -- and a bit implausible. So I posed the question to ChatGPT as follows:
I saw a video of a woman who grasped an approximately 30" section of #14 steel rebar, her hands about 24" apart, and bent the bar in half. How much force would that require? Is it at all plausible that a human being could do this?
#14 steel rebar, incidentally, has an outside diameter of 1.693" or 43 mm. That was my best guess as to the size rebar we see in the video.
I'll spare you the maths that ChatGPT used to analyze the problem (several of the equations, frankly, went over my head), and cut to the chase:
Such a feat would require that each hand of the woman is applying approximately 4,835 pounds of force.
ChatGPT concludes:
The strongest recorded grip strength for a human is around 200–250 lbs per hand. Peak force generation in controlled conditions (e.g., powerlifting or strongman competitions) can reach around 500–600 lbs per arm using legs, hips, and back for support. [Therefore, the] calculated force of 4,835 lbs per hand is orders of magnitude beyond human capability. Even if the rebar were significantly weaker or hollow, bending it in this manner would still require far more force than is plausible for a human.
That said, the woman certainly looks strong and fit and could probably beat me up any day of the week. But I
don't believe she's doing what this video would have us believe.
Fun video, Yui. I hope you don't mind my playing around with it a bit.
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