Taken from the June 2021 issue of Physics World where it first appeared under the headline "Learning from the impossible". Philip Ball reviews The Science of Can and Can’t by Chiara Marletto Alternative reality If a lifeboat is never used, because the ship it is on never sinks, is it still a lifeboat? (Courtesy: iStock/Tramino) If a 1 kg mass is dropped from a height of 100 m, what is its velocity when it hits the ground? My e You’ve reached the limit of what you can view on Physics World without registering If you already have an account on Physics World, then please sign in to continue reading If you do not yet have an account, please register so you can Access more than 20 years of online content Choose which e-mail newsletters you would like to receive Want to read more? Registration is free, quick and easy Note: The verification e-mail to complete your account registration should arrive immediately. However, in some cases it takes longer. Don't forget to check your spam folder. If you haven't received the e-mail in 24 hours, please contact customerservices@ioppublishing.org. E-mail Address
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