**Short version:**
If—and it’s a big *if*—all 200 average, unarmed men stay calm, rush the bear together, and are willing to accept serious casualties, they probably overwhelm and kill the polar bear. In any scenario where they hesitate, break ranks, or attack piecemeal, the bear tears through them until the crowd panics and flees.
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### Why the bear is terrifying
| Trait | Polar bear | Average adult man |
|-------|------------|-------------------|
| Mass | ≈ 450–600 kg (1,000-1,300 lb) | ≈ 80 kg (175 lb) |
| Bite force | > 5,300 N (≈ 1,200 psi) | ≈ 890 N (200 psi) |
| Claws | 6–10 cm, razor-sharp | Fingernails |
| Hide/fat | ≥ 10 cm of dense fat & hide | ≈ 2–3 mm skin |
| One-blow lethality | Skull-crushing swipe | Punch/kick that rarely KOs even one opponent |
| Sprint speed | 40 km/h (25 mph) | 20 km/h (12 mph) |
| Pain tolerance | Extremely high | Low-moderate |
A polar bear kills large seals with a single bite and has survived shotgun salvos. One swipe can split a human ribcage or take off a head.
---
### Why numbers *can* beat the bear
1. **Sheer mass:**
200 men ≈ 16 t of body weight vs. a ½-ton bear. If they truly pile on, the bear is physically pinned.
2. **Angle of attack:**
Four limbs, one mouth—that’s five “weapons.” Once 15-20 people are on each limb and another 20-30 flood its back, the bear can’t swing freely.
3. **Vulnerable points:**
Eyes and throat aren’t protected by the fat layer. 200 sets of hands can gouge and crush those targets.
4. **Bear stamina:**
Bears are explosive sprinters, not marathon fighters. After ~90 seconds of frantic slashing while buried under hundreds of kilos of people, it will fatigue and overheat.
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### Why it still goes badly for the humans
* **Psychology:** most “average” people freeze or bolt when a 600-kg predator barrels toward them. If even 20 % hesitate, the swarm fails.
* **Casualties:** the first 30-50 who make contact are maimed or killed almost instantly. Even in a “human-victory” scenario, dozens die, many more suffer life-changing injuries.
* **Coordination barrier:** to win, the men must act like a disciplined military phalanx, not a crowd of strangers. That’s unlikely without training or a plan.
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### Likeliest outcomes
| Crowd behaviour | Probable winner | Casualties |
|-----------------|-----------------|------------|
| **Coordinated, all-in rush** | Humans | 30-80 dead, 100+ seriously injured |
| **Hesitant, staggered attacks** | Polar bear | Bear may kill 60-100 before crowd flees; minimal bear injury |
| **Panic & flight** | Polar bear | Bear kills those it catches; most escape, bear wins the “fight” |
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### Verdict
- **In a controlled experiment where every man is forced to fight to the death and they charge together, the *200 men prevail*, but it’s a pyrrhic victory.**
- **Under realistic psychology, the *polar bear usually wins*; crowds don’t coordinate under mortal terror.**
Either way, it’s a grisly, unethical scenario better left as a thought experiment.
Chatgpts verdict