In recent years, the internet has become a breeding ground for various conspiracy theories and unusual incidents. One such incident that has captured the attention of many involves a video that seemingly shows a plane freeze in mid-air.
The footage has quickly gone viral, leaving many people scratching their heads. Did the pilots need a bathroom break?
Now more than ever, the conspiracy theory surrounding a “glitch in the matrix” is receiving heightened attention.
The concept of a “glitch in the matrix” is derived from the 1999 science fiction film “The Matrix”, in which a simulated reality is created by machines to subdue and control humans.
In the movie, the term refers to a moment when the simulated reality breaks down, revealing the underlying truth of the artificial world.
In popular culture and internet communities, the idea of a glitch in the matrix has been adopted as a metaphor for strange or unexplained phenomena that challenge our understanding of reality.
The video in question was shared by Will Manidis on X (formerly Twitter) last Friday. In the video, a plane appears to be suspended in the air above the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and San Francisco Bay.
Manidis recounted that he saw the strange optical illusion while on a flight from New York City to the Bay Area as the plane was about to land.
watched a plane pause in the air today and y’all still think physics is real pic.twitter.com/ZHS4yrmvAN
— Will Manidis (@WillManidis) October 13, 2023
Let’s address the central question: Can a plane freeze in mid-air?
According to “love the Maldives”: “Airplanes do not freeze because designers ensure sensitive components are heated or kept away from snow accumulation, low freezing points of jet fuels, thorough and robust de-icing protocols both on the ground and in the air, and during flight, the air is drier even at higher, sub-zero altitudes.”
How can something like this occur?
The article states that planes remain airborne due to the absence of a net force acting upon them.
In accordance with Newton’s first law of motion, an object at rest will remain stationary and an object in motion will continue its motion, whether it’s suspended 10km above the Earth’s surface or elsewhere, as long as there is no net force exerted on it.
“It’s an illusion and has been debunked based on angles and speed. Come on,” commented one person.
It's an illusion and has been debunked based on angles and speed. Come on.
— ＳＴΞＦΛＮO (@stefano1979) October 13, 2023
While another said: “Just a parallax effect, and it happens when the different elements move at different opposite speeds creating this effect.”
Just a parallax effect, and it happens when the different elements move at different opposite speeds creating this effect.
— Maxx (@simbiosisgroup) October 14, 2023