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snow_michael t1_iu4evr3 wrote

Reply to comment by ANOKNUSA in TIL Devon Allen, track & field athlete/Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, was disqualified in the World Athletic Championships for a controversial false start. The starting blocks measured his reaction time from the time the gun went off at 0.099, which is 0.001 seconds faster than legally allowed. by The_Critical_Cynic

The reaction time is also now at the point where distance from the starter's pistol^1 is becoming a factor

^1 technically from the collapsing waveform of the sound envelope. A starter's pistol 'Bang' does not radiate from the gun evenly in a circle, rather in a 3D teardrop shape

Depending upon the angle the starter fires it, it is not impossible that the moving sound wave could hit the eardrum of the second closest runner before the closest

Eighth lane is still screwed though

−4

mikey_the_kid t1_iu4h1w4 wrote

At championship levels there are speakers behind each set of blocks and the signal is electronic.

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