Is It Possible To Swim In Money Like Scrooge McDuck?

Swim In Money Like Scrooge McDuck

No, it is not possible to swim in money like Scrooge McDuck. Even, Scrooge McDuck himself also admitted that it’s a special trick, and not possible. According to the writers and cartoonists, this is a nonsensical ability that only Scrooge McDuck has. However, for a human being, it is completely impossible to swim in money because metal doesn’t move like a liquid and gold is 20 times denser than water.

Key Takeaways

  • Scrooge McDuck is a very popular cartoon character and he is a 70 years old maternal uncle of Disney’s Donald Duck
  • This cartoon character is created in 1947 by Carl Barks and it is a Scottish-American anthropomorphic supercentenarian Pekin duck
  • Scrooge McDuck is renowned for his iconic signature dive into money

Comics History Of Scrooge McDuck

Comics History Of Scrooge McDuck

Scrooge McDuck made his first named appearance in the story Christmas on Bear Mountain which was published in Dell’s Four Color Comics #178, October 22, 1947. In the Christmas on Bear Mountain story, Scrooge McDuck appeared as a bearded, bespectacled, reasonably wealthy old duck and living in isolation in a “huge mansion”. Carl Barks, the creator of Scrooge McDuck claimed that he originally only intended to use Scrooge as a one-shot character but thought that Scrooge could prove useful for motivating further stories. Therefore, Carl Barks continued to experiment with Scrooge’s appearance and personality for the next four years. Scrooge McDuck’s second appearance was in The Old Castle’s Secret where he was searching a family treasure hidden in Dismal Downs with his nephews.

In August 1949, the story Voodoo Hoodoo was published in Dell’s Four Color Comics #238 and it was the first hint at Scrooge’s past. Moreover, it was the introduction of two new figures. The first one was Foola Zoola, an old African sorcerer and chief of the Voodoo tribe and the second figure was Bombie the Zombie, the organ of the sorcerer’s curse and revenge. Bombie the Zombie reportedly sought Scrooge for decades before reaching Duckburg, mistaking Donald for Scrooge. On the other hand, Trail of the Unicorn was first published in February 1950, and it introduced Scrooge’s private zoo. Moreover, in this story, Scrooge’s private airplane was introduced first.

Scrooge McDuck was introduced as a major character in the “Magic Hourglass” story and it was first published in September 1950. This was the first story that changed the focus of the Duck stories from Donald to Scrooge. In that story, several themes were introduced for Scrooge. However, the final development of the character Scrooge McDuck was introduced in March 1951 in the “A Financial Fable” story. The modern era of Scrooge McDuck begins after Carl Barks’s retirement. Another significant development of Scrooge McDuck happened when the Italian writer and artist Romano Scarpa made several additions to Scrooge McDuck’s universe that includes Brigitta McBridge, Scrooge’s self-styled fiancée, and Gideon McDuck, a newspaper editor who is Scrooge’s brother.

Why It’s Not Possible To Swim In Money Like Scrooge McDuck

According to James Kakalios, Ph.D., a professor of physics at the University of Minnesota and author of the recently-released The Physics of Everyday Things as well as 2005’s The Physics of Superheroes, it is not possible to swim in money and the main question is how badly the person will be injured in the attempt of swimming in the gold coin. James Kakalios says – 

“Keeping his arms stiff and his elbows rigid, he’s definitely going to break his wrists, Gold is a granular material like sand, a macroscopic object. You can’t swim through sand or dive into it easily. A ball pit is a good example, The balls are lightly packed and have low friction relative to one another. The key is to have objects in front of you move out of the way in order to advance. You would need a massive amount of lube to slide your body past the coins with minimal effort. The ball pit is easier because the weight of the elements is low. Gold is a very dense material.”

So, when you want to swim in the gold coins you have to dive into a gold pile like the Scrooge way — hands first, prayer-style, followed by your head. This is the easiest way to break your bones. When you launch from a diving board that is 3 or 4 feet higher from the surface and land directly on the solid surface then you will definitely get injured. Moreover, diving into gold is similar to diving into a concrete floor. So, understand what will happen to you if you dive into the poll of gold coins.

FAQs About Is It Possible To Swim In Money Like Scrooge McDuck?

Could You Actually Swim In Money?

Scientifically, you can’t swim in money because gold coins are a hard substance and they are not like water. There is no way you can remain float on hard materials. Therefore, in reality, it is impossible to swim in money.

How Much Money Does Scrooge McDuck Have?

Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character and he stored his fortune in a giant money bin filled with gold coins. According to Forbes, Scrooge McDuck has a net worth of around $65.4 billion.                

Is Scrooge McDuck Dead?

Yes, Scrooge McDuck is dead. According to Don Rosa’s unofficial timeline, he died at the age of 100 years after a life of adventure.

What’s The Relationship Between Donald Duck And Uncle Scrooge/Scrooge McDuck?

Donald Duck is the nephew of Scrooge McDuck. Scrooge McDuck is the maternal uncle of Donald Duck.                      

References:

1. https://medium.com/the-coffeelicious/swimming-in-my-money-like-scrooge-mcduck-fc2140e78ee
2. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/500940/fact-check-physicist-weighs-whether-scrooge-mcduck-could-actually-swim-pool-gold

Last Updated on November 1, 2022 by Magalie D.

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