Because of its curious, immovable properties, there is maybe no weapon that fascinates nerds more than ThorOpens in a new tab’s hammer. Everyone knows that it can make itself impossible to lift in accordance with worthiness, but what everyone asks about are  the possible exceptions. Under what conditions could you lift the hammer? Could you lift Mjölnir…in space?Mjölnir’s most famous property is that it can somehow make itself impossible to move. When you try to lift something off the surface of a planet, there are two forces acting against it, weight and friction. Weight is the object’s mass multiplied by the gravitational field of whatever planet you happen to be on, and the force of friction will be some component of the normal force pressing on the object perpendicularly, multiplied by a coefficient of friction dependent on the material. But what happens when you go to a place where neither gravity nor friction really apply?
[brightcove video_id=”5982334322001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]In my latest episode of Because ScienceOpens in a new tab, we’re putting the hammer down and figuring it out.After you watch the new episode, check out my last video on how survivable pop culture-style grappling hooks areOpens in a new tab, buy a Because Science shirt, mug, hat, or collectible pinOpens in a new tab, and follow me on TwitterOpens in a new tab or on InstagramOpens in a new tab to give me a suggestion for the next episode. Want Because Science even earlier? Subscribe to AlphaOpens in a new tab for access to the show two full days before anyone else.
