If you're a fan of Formula 1 racing, you've probably noticed that most racers have pretty chonky necks. That's not just a side effect of racing – they actually have to train their necks to withstand intense G-forces. They usually range from 4 to 6.5 G at high speeds and around 5 G at the apex of a corner.
To put that into perspective, British racer George Russell weighs 154 pounds (70 kilograms). But when he races through Turn One at the Japanese Grand Prix, his body has to withstand the weight of 770 pounds (350 kilograms).
That's why F1 racers have similar training to that of fighter jet pilots. At Mugello in 2020, Lewis Hamilton experienced a record high 5.6 G on Turn 7. That's more than astronauts experience as they are launched into space! So, racers must train their core and upper body as well, not just their necks. Still, the neck is the number one priority; British racer Lando Norris, for example, works out his neck at least five times a week.
But why is the neck so important to F1 racers? When they turn, brake, or accelerate, the G-forces push into their necks. If a regular Joe with an untrained neck raced on an F1 track, their head would bounce around in the cockpit. They wouldn't be able to see or focus on anything else. After the fact, they would also feel immense neck pain, strain, and fatigue, if they're lucky and don't injure themselves.
Former coach of racer Sebastian Vettel, Antti Kontsas, explained: "You need to see where you're going. It's all about precision. We're talking about hundreds and tenths of a second, and if you don't see exactly where you're going and you cannot navigate well through the track, there's no chance for you to gain that extra hundredth or tenth." The average F1 driver can lift up to 88 pounds (40 kg) of weights with their neck only.
The majestic tree you see in this list is a cashew tree in Natal, Brazil, also called Maior Cajueiro do Mundo or The Cashew Tree of Pirangi (Cajueiro de Pirangi). In 2015, it became a Guinness World Record holder as the largest cashew nut tree in the world. The branches cover a total area of about 8,500 m² (3,281.34 sq ft).
A local fisherman, Luis Inácio de Oliveira, supposedly planted the tree in 1888. Some say it has a particular mutation where four of the tree's branches put down roots once they reach the ground, allowing for new growth to form.
The large wombat on this list, sadly, is no longer with us. His name was Patrick and he passed away in 2017 at the age of 31 (in human years, that's 130). He was the world's oldest and largest captive wombat and weighed 84 pounds (38 kg). An average wombat weighs about 45 to 75 pounds (20-35 kg).
Patrick lived in Ballarat Wildlife Park after several unsuccessful attempts at releasing him. Other wombats would beat him up every time, so, keepers decided to just make the wildlife park his home.
What's the largest unusual thing you've ever seen in real life, Pandas? Share the absolute units you've come across in your life with us in the comments! Bonus points if you add pictures, too. If you'd like to see even more goofy big things that folks have shared on the Absolute Units subreddit, be sure to check out our previous publications here, here, and here!
