Why is stepping on legos so painful

Give the video a watch and learn more than you ever expected to know about the pain that just won't leggo. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. As explained in the video, it would also hurt to step on, say a sharp knife, but you probably have fewer of those in the house and you probably a lot more likely to keep the knives off the floor.

So, ultimately, the reason stepping on a LEGO brick hurts so much is a combination of how sensitive our feet are, how much force they hit the ground with as we walk and the fact that the bricks are made of an extremely strong plastic not to mention frequently found on the floor. August 02, Discovery Place Science. It turns out, the answer is largely based on, you guessed it, science!

Time is running out to see this amazing exhibit, which closes September 2. Plan your visit today! Pressure is equal to the amount of force divided by the area to which that force is applied, he explains. This would result in a very high pressure on that small region of your foot. That also means that Lego encounters probably hurt you more than they do your lighter-weight kid, because the surface of the Lego matches the amount of pressure bearing down on it.

For example, you might be exerting pressure of up to twice your body weight with each step just by walking, and running produces pressure of up to nine times your weight. The company points out that, laid end to end, But there is one way of averting this menace: Just store your Legos right in the first place.

By providing your email, you agree to the Quartz Privacy Policy. That's because our feet work to keep us balanced. All the information those nerve endings receive help your brain keep you from looking like you're walking in a Monty Python sketch.

Secondly, there are an amazing number of LEGO bricks in the world. They're ubiquitous and, even worse, they tend to be played with on the floor. Thirdly, they have sharp corners and knobs. That will help aggravate all those nerve endings in your foot.