"Padre voador ganha Darwin Award de 2008"
O padre brasileiro Adelir Antonio de Carli, que morreu voando a bordo de uma cadeira presa a balões de festa em abril deste ano, é um dos vencedores do Darwin Award de 2008, anunciou o site “Darwin Awards” (http://www.darwinawards.com). O prêmio, que homenageia o criador da teoria da seleção natural, sempre se refere a mortes consideradas bizarras.
A “premiação” só é dada a pessoas que falecem sem deixar descendentes. Por isso, o padre Adelir de Carli foi agraciado com um Darwin Duplo — por causa de seu voto de castidade como religioso, ele já não teria filhos de qualquer maneira.
Por Reinaldo José Lopes
fonte: http://colunas.g1.com.br/redacao/category/ciencia/
O texto no Darwin Awards:
Balloon Priest
2008 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin
(20 April 2008, Atlantic Ocean, Brazil) In 1982 Lawn Chair Larry, beloved survivor of a Darwin Award attempt, attached 45 huge helium balloons to his comfortable Sears lawn chair, packed a picnic lunch, and cut the tether. But instead of drifting lazily above the Los Angeles landscape, the combined lift of 45 weather balloons rocketed Larry into LAX air traffic lanes 16,000 feet above sea level. Astoundingly, he survived the "flight."
In homage to Larry's whimsical adventure, a Catholic priest recently ascended towards heaven on a host of helium party balloons. Adelir Antonio de Carli, 41, was attempting to set the world record for clustered balloon flight to publicize his plan to build a spiritual rest stop for truckers.
Spending more than 19 hours in a lawn chair is not a trivial matter, even in the comfort of your own backyard. The priest took numerous safety precautions, including wearing a survival suit, selecting a buoyant chair, and packing a satellite phone and a GPS. However, the late Adelir Antonio made a fatal mistake.
He did not know how to use the GPS.
The winds changed, as winds do, and he was blown inexorably toward open sea. He could have parachuted to safety while over land, but chose not to. When the voyager was perilously lost at sea, he prudently phoned for help. But rescuers were unable to reach him since he could not use his GPS! HE struggled with the control panel as the charge on the satellite phone dwindled.
Instead of a GPS, the priest let God be his guide, and God guided him straight to heaven. Bits of balloons began appearing on mountains and beaches. Ultimately the priest's body surfaced, confirming that he, like Elvis, had left the building.
The kicker? It's a Double Darwin. Catholic priests take vows of celibacy. Since they voluntarily remove themselves from the gene pool, the entire group earns a mass Darwin Award. Adelir Antonio wins twice over!
Reader rHart says, "The term 'Double Darwin' rolls trippingly off the tongue."
Note from Darwin: "A hot air balloon is maneuvered by altering altitude. The wind direction changes, generally toward the right, as one ascends in the northern hemisphere. A skillful pilot uses altitude to shift the downwind track. (airborneballoons.co.uk) By comparison, a mass of individual balloons is completely at the mercy of the wind."
fonte: http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2008-16.html
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