On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:52:14 -0000, ehsjr wrote:

Peter Hucker wrote:
On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:58:04 +0100, William Sommerwerck wrote:


Do the eyelids not automatically close?

Yes -- right on the piece of solder.


Your reactions aren't up to scratch then. They're supposed to close while the solder is flying towards you.


How do you figure that, without knowing the velocity
of the solder - or even whether one sees and reacts to
it?

Experience. I've virtually never had anything hit my eyeball. But have often had things hit my closed eye.

And, as to the idea you posted that a bicycle rider can close
his eyelids fast enough - ridiculous. Even an occasional
rider can easily hit 40 mph or more downhill, the object
can be launched from a car's tire at high speed, a bug
may come from the side etc.

Perhaps. But it hasn't happened to me. If a car is overtaking and throwing up stuff, I tend to squint my eyes in advance!

You have no way of knowing whether his - or your - reactions
are fast enough for the eyelids to protect from solder splatter
or airborne objects/bugs/whatever while bicycle riding, because
you don't have any data on the speed at which the object
approaches the eye or the distance it must travel or even
whether the conditions allow the eye to detect the approaching
object. Sheesh! Even people walking have gotten stuff in their
eyes, blown by a gust of wind or whatever.

Dust perhaps, but not large enough objects to cause damage.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

It seems a farm boy accidentally overturned his wagon load of corn. The farmer who lived nearby heard the noise.
"Hey Willis!!" the farmer yelled. "Forget your troubles. Come in with us. Then I'll help you get the wagon up."
"That's mighty nice of you, " Willis answered, "but I don't think Pa would like me to."
"Aw, come on," the farmer insisted.
"Well okay," the boy finally agreed, and added, "But Pa won't like it."
After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. "I feel a lot better now, but I know Pa is going to be real upset."
"Don't be foolish !" the neighbor said with a smile. "By the way, where is he?"
"Under the wagon."