A4_2 How Many Lies Could Pinocchio Tell?

Abstract

The 1940 animated lm `Pinocchio' tells the story of a puppet who, having been brought magically to life, finds that his nose grows whenever he tells a lie. In this paper, we attempt to determine the effect that this growth might have on Pinocchio's balance. By comparing Pinocchio's apparent size to that of his creator, Geppetto, we estimate his approximate dimensions. We then examine the rate of growth of his nose as shown in the film and calculate the displacement of his centre of mass from its original position after each successive lie he tells. Based on this, we then determine that the maximum number of lies Pinocchio can tell without compromising his balance is five.