The Science of Game of Thrones: Exactly how much force does it take to pop a person's skull?

Published June 4, 2014 7:23pm

"I smashed her head in. Like this!"

This was the point at which avid Game of Thrones followers jumped/flinched/cried/fainted in shock as Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane crushed the handsome Prince Oberyn "The Red Viper" Martell's skull with his bare hands:

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW

For what it's worth, science says that in real life, even the fabled "Largest Man in Westeros" could not have crushed Prince Oberyn's skull.

Ser Gregor Clegane is nearly eight feet tall and weighs around 420 pounds, "A Song of Fire and Ice" creator George R.R. Martin told TIME.

Meanwhile, a skull fracture requires 500 kg of force (about 1,100 lbs), according to Science Alert, citing neurosurgeon Tobias Mattei's interview with the Washington Post.

Said Science Alert:

It would be possible for a man who weighed 500 kg (remember The Mountain only weighs 190 kg) to fracture a skull by stepping on it but, according to Mattei, it would be "impossible [for a man] to break [a skull] with his hands even if 90 percent of the 235 kg were biceps muscles." Moreover, "It would be almost impossible ... to ‘blow up’ the head’s top from inside... No explosion would be seen. The eyes of the victim would be pushed backward some few inches. That’s it.

So, given that force equals mass times acceleration, Ser Gregor merely squeezing Prince Oberyn's head would most probably not lead to the latter's brains popping out—because of the lack of acceleration.

A fast punch by a boxer, given the acceleration involved in swinging one's fist, can generate a force stronger than 500 kg, TIME said.

In real life, The Mountain may have had a higher chance of crushing Prince Oberyn's head if he (Hulk-)smashed it on the floor from a high point really quickly. But given the injuries he had courtesy of The Red Viper, that too would have been difficult to achieve.

Meanwhile, Game of Thrones fans are waiting for Dorne's response to its beloved prince's death. — Kim Luces/TJD, GMA News

Tags: hbo, gameofthrones, science, medicine