When a supply pod hits the ground, the collision seems to happen in no time at all. However, if we could use a special slow-motion camera, we could see that some collisions last longer than others. The longer the collision takes, the smaller the impact force on the object. It might seem strange to think that a longer collision would do less damage to the object, but that’s exactly what happens. This is why there are pads wrapped around the goal posts at football and rugby games—if a player collides with the post, the pads compress, or squish down, during the collision. Due to the padding, the time of collision is slightly longer, and the force is spread out over a longer period of time, making the player’s collision with the pole hurt less!