weight of water

The fact that the pressure of water is exactly proportional to its height has always struck me as very very odd. And I am not sure why – I mean it makes exact sense, but still seems counter intuitive when one thinks of dams, surf, and other large bodies of water. The sheer volume of water must have some impact on the pressure, weight, whatever that the water threatens us.

Perhaps that is the point, a ten meter pillar of water is not threatening – it is biblical, or poetic, or somehow magical. A ten meter wall of water is a real threat – it is scary to even think about that much water – and I do not mean only that much water moving. Just the existance of a 10 meter wall of water or being beneath ten meters of water is horrible.

Horror always seems to outweigh common sense – or even science.