How do cats survive falls from great heights?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17492802

by revorad • 14 years ago

13 3 14 years ago

bbc.co.uk

maeon3• 14 years ago

If you drop an ant or a pea sized model car off a building it won't even suffer any damage hitting the ground, if you throw an elephant or a full sized train off a building, it will be pancaked or explode into pieces.

The strength of a bone increases with its circumference, but its mass increases with its volume. The volume increases incur expenses in inertia far more quickly than circumference incurs gains in strength.

smackay• 14 years ago

The following description (from a BBC documentary I think but I can't find the source) sums it nicely: If you dropped a mouse down a mineshaft it would bounce then scuttle away into the darkness, a man would be killed and a horse would splash.

slamdunc• 14 years ago

This reminds me of one of the first RadioLab shows I ever heard, called simply "Falling".

http://www.radiolab.org/2010/sep/20/

Here's their synopsis: There are so many ways to fall—in love, asleep, even flat on your face. This hour, Radiolab dives into stories of great falls.

We jump into a black hole, take a trip over Niagara Falls, upend some myths about falling cats, and plunge into our favorite songs about falling.

Such a great episode, and great show - I recommend both to everyone.

How do cats survive falls from great heights?

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