this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2023
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[–] DarkGamer@kbin.social 133 points 2 years ago (6 children)

It's true!

Although it may seem safe to assume that one horsepower is the output a horse is capable of creating at any one time, that is incorrect. In fact, the maximum output of a horse can be up to 15 horsepower,[2] and the maximum output of a human is a bit more than a single horsepower. For extreme athletes, this output can be even higher with Tour de France riders outputting around 1.2 horsepower for around 15 seconds, and just under 0.9 horsepower for a minute.[3]
https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Horsepower

I must now once again question the nature of reality.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 118 points 2 years ago (1 children)

the maximum output of a horse can be up to 15 horsepower,

That's the problem. The unit was not developed on the maximum power a horse could put out. It was intended to be what a typical horse could continuously sustain throughout the work day.

[–] jarfil@beehaw.org 4 points 2 years ago

Also why switching horses was a thing: a fully rested horse could run at a higher hp, then change horses and the new one could keep outputting thevhigher up whilecthe previous one rested.

Like switching rechargeable batteries, only the battery was the horse.

[–] Rubanski@lemm.ee 53 points 2 years ago (1 children)

HP from now on is called humanpower.

[–] original_ish_name@lemm.ee 26 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's called "Health Points" smh

[–] Rodeo@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 years ago

Just another silly quirk of the imperial system.

Metric uses kilowatts.

[–] ForestOrca@kbin.social 4 points 2 years ago

Keep questioning! For Science!

[–] affiliate@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

you have to be a horse to do the tour de france

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[–] Laticauda@lemmy.ca 86 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Horsepower is averaged based on an extended time period, how much power a horse can put out on average while constantly working. They can't do 15 hp on a constant basis, they can only do it for a relatively brief period of time, so their average is 1 hp. A 15 hp engine can run at 15 hp for a much longer period of time, which a horse can't do. If the engine was hypothetically capable of working consistently without ever breaking down, it would be able to run at 15 hp indefinitely. But even with the machine's lifespan in mind, it can still run for years at the same output, which is impossible for a horse.

[–] craftyindividual@lemm.ee 24 points 2 years ago (1 children)

it can still run for years at the same output, which is impossible for a horse.

Depends which horse.

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 years ago

Well of course we have a unit, cu. hp, (coked up horsepower) for that.

[–] saltnotsugar@lemm.ee 36 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I think it’s between 1 and 15, depending on factors like how tired, or if his horse girlfriend broke up with him for that dumb old stud.

[–] oldGregg@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago

I need a horse with something to prove to itself

[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

1hp is the average power over time for a horse. That 15hp number is peak. There's like a whole thing with lifting a set weight up and seeing how far the horse traveled and whatnot to get to that number which is sorta interesting but it ends in hp is sorta flawed and we mostly use it wrong but still it's neat.

[–] HiddenLayer5@lemmy.ml 33 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Watts are superior for this reason.

[–] wholeofthemoon@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago

How many watts can a wattpower horse?

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 24 points 2 years ago (3 children)

1 horsepower is supposed to be the rate a shitty old timey horse can work over the course of a whole day. Also it was created as a way to market steam engines to replace horses as a source of mechanical power so there was an incentive to lowball the horse.

[–] boogetyboo@aussie.zone 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You take that old timey horse's name out of your goddamn mouth

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

literally everything was shittier in olden times

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[–] wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Over a short period of time, they calculate, a horse can exert up to 14.9 horsepower.

source

[–] original_ish_name@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago

If you look at the source for the source, you see that the theoritical limit is 24hp

1hp can be achieved through certain workloads

[–] MonsiuerPatEBrown@reddthat.com 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Li'l Sebastian ran at about ~~5 HP~~ 15000HP! I stand corrected

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[–] Zoldyck@discuss.online 11 points 2 years ago (2 children)

So how much HP does Bojack Horseman have?

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@startrek.website 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

If a human has 1 (according to another comment) and a horse has 15, then I'm going to say that a "horseman" has 8.

[–] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@startrek.website 14 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

That's a tough one. They're also half and half, but they're more horse where it counts for HP than Bojack.

Hmm... let's say 13. Because a human torso is probably heavier than a horse head. Final answer.

[–] redcalcium@lemmy.institute 5 points 2 years ago (3 children)

A horse only has 4 limbs, while a centaur has 6 limbs, so centaur must be stronger, right?

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[–] dojan@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Would a centaur have double sets of organs? Like two hearts, four lungs, etc.?

My question I guess is more, is the human part self-sufficient? Could you amputate the horse and end up with just the upper body of a human, and would it be functional?

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[–] casmael@lemm.ee 9 points 2 years ago

Interestingly, I read the images as skeletor, if you know what I mean

nyaaaaah

[–] ciko22i3@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 years ago

Every kilowatt has 1000 watts

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Guess we now have to change to duck power instead

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[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yet another reason why English is a silly language.

[–] Catsrules@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago (3 children)

What is it in other languages?

[–] mashbooq 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Watts (named after James Watt, who ironically was the one who came up with the unit of horsepower)

[–] Catsrules@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Interesting, so if you when to buy a car outside of the US, it would be in watts? Instead of saying this car has 250 horse power you would say this car has 186kW?

In the US we do use Watts, but I think most people would associate Watts with electrical power not gas engine power. But it appears you can convert between them fairly easily.

[–] birbboidaseed@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

Yes ICE powered vehicles are rated in kW.

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[–] functor@artemis.camp 6 points 2 years ago

Metric horsepower

[–] frezik@midwest.social 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Pferdstarke

[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Now how am I supposed to measure rhings?

[–] someguy3@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] CorrodedCranium@leminal.space 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] TimeSquirrel@kbin.social 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

"Llamathrust"

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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