Could Godzilla or King Kong exist in real life? One law of physics has the answer

Both Godzilla and King Kong are two of the most famous monsters in cinema, popular for their amazing size and for the devastation they cause in their wake. We have been able to see these impressive creatures recently in Monsterverse films, like ‘Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire’ (2024). Although a key aspect of their great appeal is precisely how large they are, a law of physics prevents creatures of such magnitude from existing in real life: this is the square-cube law.

This is the square-cube law, a mathematical and geometric principle that prevents creatures like Godzilla or King Kong from existing in real life.

The quadratic-cubic law, also known as the square-cube law, is a mathematical and geometric principle that has applications in disciplines such as biology, physics, and engineering. Broadly speaking, this principle postulates that when the size of an object is increased, its volume grows faster than its surface area. Below we have a practical example:

Or put another way: when an object or body increases or decreases in size proportionally, Its area and volume also do so proportionately. It is about a physical principle normally ignored in the context of fiction to prioritize entertainment. In a very summary way, in living beings, force scales proportionally with the area or its surface, while weight, with the volume. Therefore, One of the great “lies” of fiction is that the larger a creature is, the stronger it will be., when In real life a being of gigantic proportions would collapse under its own weight.

The relationship between muscle and bone strength is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the muscles and bones, but not to the volume. On the other hand, weight is proportional to the volume of the object or organism, since it is related to mass, and this increases proportionally to the volume in three-dimensional objects. In summary, If we double the size of a living being while maintaining its shape, the resulting creature would have four times its strength, but its muscular and bone structure would have to support eight times its mass. This way, Instead of having twice the strength or speed, you would have half.

For this reason, Creatures as large as Godzilla and King Kong simply could not exist in real life due to their gargantuan size., given that their muscle and bone structure would collapse under the weight of their own body. Depending on the version of these characters, they can measure heights of up to 120 meters and weigh up to 90,000 tons, a disproportionate weight compared to their height, which would make it impossible for them to perform basic vital functions such as pumping blood from the heart throughout the body. your cardiovascular system.

This law of physics is not limited to living beings. In the context of engineering and structural calculation, Giant robots or mechas from works like ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ or ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ would also have a very difficult time existing in real life due to the same principle. In order to be equipped with an entire arsenal of heavy weapons and, despite this, move at breakneck speeds, they would have to be extremely robust in their design and construction - including the chosen materials -, in addition to their energy system would have to be extraordinarily efficient at generating the electricity necessary to move such metallic beasts.

The blue whale, the largest animal in the world: an exception to the rule thanks to the fact that it is a marine animal

The largest animal in the world today is the blue whale. This colossal cetacean can reach 30 meters in length and can weigh up to 180 tons. The key to its immense size has been its habitat: the marine environment. With the quadratic-cubic law, external and environmental factors such as water must also be taken into account. Basically, The oceans have allowed this animal to evolve to reach this size thanks to the buoyancy of water, which allows you to distribute your weight efficiently.

The aquatic environment has allowed the blue whale to overcome many of the physical limitations that restrict the size of terrestrial animals., since water acts as a natural support that compensates for the force of gravity, preventing the animal’s muscle and bone structure from collapsing under its own weight. Their huge lungs also contribute to their buoyancy., again, improving the tension that your body supports in relation to your weight.

Its internal distribution of gases, liquids, and tissues is so light that its average density is close to that of water., which helps the blue whale to float effortlessly on the surface or submerge in a deliberate and controlled manner when the animal requires it. This simply would not be possible in a land animal., since the weight of the body would crush the internal organs, muscles, and skeleton of a living being of these proportions. Therefore, the aquatic environment not only allows this enormous size in blue whales but has also been a determining factor in their evolution for thousands of years, giving this mammal unique characteristics of buoyancy and density.

In summary, beings of the proportions of Godzilla or King Kong could only exist in the real world if they were marine creatures that, like blue whales, had anatomy that allowed them to distribute their enormous weight efficiently. This would imply that They could not get out of the water, nor walk upright., which would make their stories lose much of their appeal. Ultimately, They are fictional beings created with a clear objective: to entertain. For this reason, these physical limitations are simply ignored in order to offer an entire narrative and audiovisual spectacle.

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