Dynamics of Cats

[sylas]

I'm going to get myself into so much trouble for this post. I felt I had to respond to this by Shadowmaster, in another thread. But I don't want to derail the other thread, and this is going to generate some reactions.... asbestos underwear on; check. Here we go.


Shadowmaster is a dog person.

Shadowmaster discovered how to a flip a cat so that it does not land on its feet. Sylas could explain the physics involved.

NASA personel have conducted some informal experiments on flipping cats in a zero gravity environment. Specifically, in the aircraft used for astronaut training, which can fly a parabolic arc giving the passengers -- human or feline -- a weightless environment for 25 seconds or so.

41098

The science blog "Dynamics of Cats" (yes, really) presents a video of the results: Vomit Comet Cat (http://scienceblogs.com/catdynamics/2007/02/vomit_comet_cat.php).

Cheers -- Sylas

PS. Is it really so terrible that I found this funny? :lol: Yes. Yes it is. :metro:

[mossrose]

:badboy:

[norwegen]

Shadowmaster discovered how to a flip a cat so that it does not land on its feet. Sylas could explain the physics involved.So did I. Feed her too much. The little tubbo can barely flip over while on the floor, let alone while in the air.

[Trout]

sylas, what a twisted mind you have, I like it.

[Storico]

Sylas, that's definitely one twisted experiment, and I have several words for the... people.... who did that to the cat. None of them I'm allowed to say on TWeb, or in front of small children.

[sylas]

Sylas, that's definitely one twisted experiment, and I have several words for the... people.... who did that to the cat. None of them I'm allowed to say on TWeb, or in front of small children.

Oh, I agree. No permanent damage was done to the cat -- unlike the first dog into space -- but even so, it was wholly unnecessary tormenting of a smaller being with feelings of its own, for no reason other than amusement. On a scale of evils I'd rate it pretty low; the cat was obviously freaked out but unhurt. But it was mean.

And yet... I know it shows a dark side in my sense of humour -- I can't help laughing.

Cheers -- Sylas

[shadowmaster]

Shadowmaster finds cat flipping to be a serious business. It is all associated with moments of inertia and the ability of the cat to offset the angular momentum. That is evident in the video towards the end.

There exist 3 moments of inertia and the intermediate one can give rise to chaotic motion. (This can demonstrated by using a book with a cat drawn on the cover.) Fortunately the astronauts were not physicists and did not know which one.

hehheh

[Conductor42]

That's freaking awesome