Study: Heavier Items Take More Strength to Lift

Does carrying heavy objects require more strength? A study from Fairview University in Butler County suggests that the more weight that's applied to an object, the more muscle one must have to lift it effectively.

All 24 subjects, who make up the town's population, were placed in a room for professors to observe. Each subject was handed items of various weight quantities. Professors noted that the two most differentiating objects were the anvil and the toothbrush, which seemed to require different levels of strength to elevate above the ground.

The four-year-old boy, who was requested to pick up the anvil, found it impossible to complete the task. Meanwhile, the 41-year-old bodybuilder assigned to the toothbrush seemed to have no problem lifting his assigned object. Professors thought to switch both candidates, but chose not to rush for fear of causing one to take on more than their body was capable of performing.

Instead, each participant would slowly rearrange, with those who struggled with heavier items slowly denoted to the lighter ones. An 89-year-old grandmother, who was initially assigned to lift an entire tractor wheel, was eventually denoted to an ashtray. Unfortunately, on the way down to her denotion, she broke her hip and died.

Out of the 23 remaining participants, scientists were able to determine that size, strength, and the weight of an object all played a role in determining the success of lifting something off the ground. More research must be conducted to determine how much weight is required to completely crush a human being. Nonetheless, scientists say that this discovery is a breakthrough for modern science in Fairview, Pennsylvania.