The human pyramid is a popular party game as well as a formation used in cheerleading and gymnastics which involves participants kneeling together to form a row, forming a base for another tier of participants who kneel or stand on their shoulders, backs or thighs.
Students Hayley Allison, Jordan Penney, Roger Leyser and Giles Lipscombe at the University of Leicester investigated the science behind the human pyramid, using basic calculations to try to work out the best formula for constructing the tallest pyramid possible.
In comparison, a male-only pyramid would only be able to reach a height of four tiers if the men involved were of the weight of an average male.
This is because similar-weighted individuals would put too much strain on the people at the bottom of the pyramid - and an average male would not be able to hold the weight of more than four-tiers worth of people before the pyramid would come crashing down.
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