> You will start to sink at various rates. Not because water is “pushing less” than earth. It’s because water is not resisting.
Um, "is not resisting" means "pushing less". The water does not exert as much force on you as solid ground would. That's why you sink. If the water was not pushing less, you wouldn't sink.
> if I am 200 pounds and the earth is pushing up on me with 200 pounds of force, what is generating that force?
Nothing has to "generate" the force. The force is a static force that is doing no work, so no energy is being consumed. It's just static electromagnetic repulsion between your atoms and the atoms in the ground.
> where does it go if a helicopter reels me in?
If you stop making contact with the ground, there is no longer any electromagnetic repulsion between your atoms and the atoms in the ground.
> The 200 pounds up “force” just vanishes?
The "up" force from the ground vanishes, yes. See above.
But of course there is another "up" force on you now from whatever is attaching you to the helicopter.
Um, "is not resisting" means "pushing less". The water does not exert as much force on you as solid ground would. That's why you sink. If the water was not pushing less, you wouldn't sink.
> if I am 200 pounds and the earth is pushing up on me with 200 pounds of force, what is generating that force?
Nothing has to "generate" the force. The force is a static force that is doing no work, so no energy is being consumed. It's just static electromagnetic repulsion between your atoms and the atoms in the ground.
> where does it go if a helicopter reels me in?
If you stop making contact with the ground, there is no longer any electromagnetic repulsion between your atoms and the atoms in the ground.
> The 200 pounds up “force” just vanishes?
The "up" force from the ground vanishes, yes. See above.
But of course there is another "up" force on you now from whatever is attaching you to the helicopter.