Ya know Wired Science writer Erik Klemetti brings up an excellent point, which I hadn't thought in the context of video games previously.

Lord help if you fell on Lava, but chances are you wouldn't really sink into it.

from: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/12/the-right-and-wrong-way-to-die-when-you-fall-into-lava/

Molten lava is nothing like water. Sure, everyone thinks that liquid rock (magma) is going to behave like any other liquid (e.g., water), but there are some key physical properties that tell us it just isn’t the case. Let’s compare!

• Water has a density of 1000 kg/m and a viscosity of 0.00089 Pa*s.
• Lava has a density of 3100 kg/m and a viscosity of 100-1000 Pa*s....

Do you suppose throwing yourself into lava would have the same effect as falling into a lake? Probably not. The average human has a density of ~1010 kg/m, so a little bit more dense than water.....If you are less than one-third the density of basalt (and you are, admit it), it is going to be next to impossible to sink into that liquid.

This is going to bug the crap out of me now every time I see something like this

so it should act more like this

Molten lava is nothing like water .Sure, everyone thinks that liquid rock (magma) is going to behave like any other liquid (e.g., water), but there are some key physical properties that tell us it just isn’t the case. Let’s compare!

Video games being video games. And also, way to be presumptuous--I'm pretty sure that nobody thinks that lava and water are interchangeable; we just don't get riled-up by stupidly insignificant things like this.

@mylifeforAiur said:

Video games being video games. And also, way to be presumptuous--I'm pretty sure that nobody thinks that lava and water are interchangeable; we just don't get riled-up by stupidly insignificant things like this.

This. Lava could have the same physical properties as water for all I care.

@Slag: how did they measure the density of lava exactly? Just curious

@mylifeforAiur:

maybe I didn't make it clear enough by using the Quote function, but I didn't write that particular part that's probably bugging you. It's from the Wired article.

I'm personally well aware there are people who don't that mistake as well there are people who do.

@Dagbiker: yeah more or less. Can't say I've personally studied how someone would die landing on lava

it probably matters too on how hard the character fell onto the lava whether it could to puncture the surface tension, given impact would likely be in a very small area. Then the character could go in a little I would assume

either way you wouldn't just fall into it, like pop culture often depicts happening

I've been bothered by it for the longest time. I hated it before it was cool to hate it >:(

@Slag: My response was designated towards the article, really. I don't think I directly referred to you.

@Vinny_Says said:

@Slag: how did they measure the density of lava exactly? Just curious

In this particular case, I don't think the author did. I think he just used existing ranges for Hawaiian basaltic (aka Mafic) lava.

As for vulcanologists originally determined those numbers, I couldn't tell you. Getting density numbers off solid cooled basalt would be simple enough, so I imagine if they couldn't somehow measure molten basaltic lava in situ they probably would have enough to be able to run some models to extrapolate what it might be.

Molten lava is nothing like water .Sure, everyone thinks that liquid rock (magma) is going to behave like any other liquid (e.g., water), but there are some key physical properties that tell us it just isn’t the case. Let’s compare!

Who the fuck thinks that? No one is actually that stupid.

@Slag said:

@Vinny_Says said:

@Slag: how did they measure the density of lava exactly? Just curious

In this particular case, I don't think the author did. I think he just used existing ranges for Hawaiian basaltic (aka Mafic) lava.

As for vulcanologists originally determined those numbers, I couldn't tell you. Getting density numbers off solid cooled basalt would be simple enough, so I imagine if they couldn't somehow measure molten basaltic lava in situ they probably would have enough to be able to run some models to extrapolate what it might be.

Yep, it's all about the extrapolation, dawg.

Is your user pic Prince Tricky from Star Fox Adventures, or some other juvenile triceratops?

Ah ha! Then the game I was playing an hour ago has it right! Because in Sonic 1 you can indeed stand on the lava in Marble Zone (although it obviously still hurts).

@BisonHero said:

Is your user pic Prince Tricky from Star Fox Adventures, or some other juvenile triceratops?

you are correct sir.

@mylifeforAiur:

oh, my bad.

@FunExplosions said:

Molten lava is nothing like water.Sure, everyone thinks that liquid rock (magma) is going to behave like any other liquid (e.g., water), but there are some key physical properties that tell us it just isn’t the case. Let’s compare!

Who the fuck thinks that? No one is actually that stupid.

Apparently Peter Jackson is because Gollum sunk like a god damn rock at the end of The Return of the King, maybe that was magic lava, but it really isn't that uncommon an assumption.

Use water walking amulet in Oblivion. Go into an Oblivion Gate and flame to death in the fiery lava/magma of death. But ya don't sink.

@Mikemcn said:

@FunExplosions said:

Molten lava is nothing like water.Sure, everyone thinks that liquid rock (magma) is going to behave like any other liquid (e.g., water), but there are some key physical properties that tell us it just isn’t the case. Let’s compare!

Who the fuck thinks that? No one is actually that stupid.

Apparently Peter Jackson is because Gollum sunk like a god damn rock at the end of The Return of the King, maybe that was magic lava, but it really isn't that uncommon an assumption.

But he also fell from like 6 trillion feet in the air.

@FunExplosions said:

Molten lava is nothing like water.Sure, everyone thinks that liquid rock (magma) is going to behave like any other liquid (e.g., water), but there are some key physical properties that tell us it just isn’t the case. Let’s compare!

Who the fuck thinks that? No one is actually that stupid.

Creationism exists.

You were saying?