At the end of the original version of The Italian Job (yes, this will contain a spoiler so don’t read on if you haven’t seen it) the gang is left perched atop a cliff in their bus, with them at one end and their gold at the other. (Literally, a cliffhanger.) Knowing that it would be impossible for them to get to the gold without tipping the bus off the cliff, they make the wise decision and abandon hopes of endless riches.
However, the Royal Society of Chemists wasn’t convinced that the gang needed to leave without the best of both worlds, and created a competition to see who could come up with the best solution.
In the end, John Godwin came up with an idea that’s as genius as it is plausible, and won himself a trip to Turin with the following solution:
Break the windows at the back to reduce weight; break the windows at the front inwards to save weight; hold one gang member upside-down out of the window to deflate the front tires and stabilize the vehicle; drain the rear fuel tank through an access panel at the bottom of the bus; gang members leave one by one from the front, collecting stones to replace their weight; keep adding stones until someone can safely go to the rear to retrieve the gold.
Easy, right?
In addition to John’s entry, more than 2,000 people submitted their own ideas, so be sure to visit the RSC website for more, or download Godwin’s PDF if you’d like to see all the science behind his daring gold rescue.
Ok, so maybe not, but after watching Iron Man, you’ll want to run down the street yelling that too.
Thanks to TechCrunch’s invitation, I was able to get a sneak peak at Iron Man Wednesday, and I can whole heartedly agree with the 96% that this film is currently rocking on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s the summer blockbuster that you’ve been waiting for, and probably beyond what you’re expecting from it.
Sure, it’s got a great theme song, and the commercials look great, but that’s just the Hollywood Hype Machine running on overdrive, right?
Wrong.
Iron Man is a solid film with a plausible (futuristic) story line, fantastic acting, and top notch tech ogling.
First: Robert Downey Jr. is a bad ass. His role as a billionaire weapons manufacturer that likes fast talk, hard liquor, expensive women and cheap thrills is perfect, and he says each line with a bravado that will surely be emulated by everyone for the next few weeks.
Second: The action doesn’t stop. Sure, it’s a CGI film with plenty of additional special effects; but keep in mind, this is a comic book based movie after all. As is expected with a summer blockbuster, the explosions are over the top, the battles drag out, and the eye candy is ever present, but it’s always done in a way that lends itself to the story line, and never seems out of place.
Third: This is a tech head’s dream flick. From 3D holographic displays and futuristic UI to a sassy computer and robotic assistants, it’s a look into the future at what everyone hopes the world will become.
If you have a chance, then go see this movie, because you won’t be disappointed.
