P3_8 Saving Springfield

Abstract

The Simpsons Movie concludes with Homer saving the day by riding a motorcycle on the inside of a glass dome and throwing a bomb out of the hole at the top. This paper considers the centripetal force involved along with the loxodrome path and determines whether he has enough time to throw the bomb. It is concluded that Homers apparent loxodromic path up the dome is the correct path to reach the top within the time limit. However this requires a speed of 188m/s, much higher than the land speed record for a motorcycle.