Brace Yourself For This Conspiracy Theory!

Some people think conspiracy theories are for the birds, but others believe religiously in them! Over the summer I was scrolling through the “ever so trusting” Facebook when I came across a link for conspiracy theories. I clicked the link, unknowing how addictive these theories would become. What is a conspiracy theory? A conspiracy theory is a belief that some covert, but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event. There are tons of conspiracy theories about a lot of different things!

One conspiracy that intrigued me the most is about airplane safety. When in the event of an emergency you are instructed to assume the brace position. The brace position requires one to put their knees and feet together, with your feet firmly on the floor, and placing your head on the surface it’s most likely to hit - usually the back of the seat in front of them. Many theories have been adopted pertaining to this procedure. Some have suggested that it is only useful in preserving the passengers’ teeth. This allows investigators to use dental records for easier identification after the crash. It is also debated that this position actually increases the chance of death, by breaking your neck. The theory is that airlines recommend this position to reduce medical insurance costs and to ensure a quick painless death. Why in the world would they want you to die? Well,  it actually cost airlines less money if passengers die rather than sustain long-term injuries. Wrongful-death settlements can cost anywhere from three million to forty million less than it does footing the bill for lifetime rehabilitation! According to research, and MythBusters Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara this theory is untrue. The MythBusters simulated many plane crashes to see if the myth would prove to be true. They bought seats from an airline and built a mini plane cabin to suspend from a crane. The artificial cabin was suspended and dropped fifteen feet to see how the test dummies held up. One dummy was positioned in the brace position and the other was sitting upright. The dummies hit the ground with 21 g-force units of impact! The dummy in the upright position absorbed more of the impact than the dummy in the brace position.

The conclusion to this conspiracy theory is very simple, the brace position save lives. Sitting in the brace position channels the crash force from your body to the chair in front of you. According to the Federal Aviation Agency claims it’s three times safer to assume the brace position for an airplane wreck than to remain upright!

Conspiracy theories can be very interesting! Make sure to read next week’s blog to see what conspiracy theory will be debunked!