Research claims Sha'Carri Richardson can mimic basilisk lizards to run on water

Research claims Sha'Carri Richardson can mimic basilisk lizards to run on water

Abigael Wafula 18:48 - 13.07.2024

A research by Physics World has claimed that the fastest woman in 2024 Sha'Carri Richardson can mimic Basilisk lizards to run on water.

Research by Physics World claims the world’s fastest woman in 2024 Sha’Carri Richardson can run on water like the Basilisk lizards.

The lizards are nicknamed “Jesus Christ lizards” for their ability to run on water. The lizards weigh about 100 grams and the researchers believe Richardson has the ability to emulate the lizards.

They argue that when the basilisk runs, its foot slaps the water’s surface, just like a human sprinter on a track. Newton’s third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, the same applying for the lizard. The larger the lizard’s foot and the faster it hits the water, the more upward force the slap generates.

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When the lizard’s foot dips into the water, the basilisk extends its leg like a swimmer’s arm, but it moves so fast that in the milliseconds before the water rushes in.

Richardson, currently weighing 45kg is petite but strikingly fast with her shoes providing a good foot area. Her shoes have been valuable, propelling her to victory at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, clocking 10.65 to cross the finish line.

The researchers assumed that on ethane, Richardson would sink about 8 centimetres and to stay on top, the American sprint queen would be forced to slap the surface at about 9.0 m/s.

That slap would require running at about 8.7 metres per second and during the World Championships, Richardson’s time was significantly faster at 9.3 metres per second. The researchers concluded that racing over water is theoretically possible, at least for Richardson.