Slow Motion Flipping Cat Physics | Smarter Every Day 58

TL;DR

Cats are able to rotate their bodies mid-air and land on their feet due to their unique physiology and the way they manipulate their moment of inertia.

Transcript

Hey it's me Destin welcome back to Smarter Every Day. So you've probably observed that cats almost always land on their feet. Today's question is why. Like most simple questions there's a very complex answer. For instance let me re-word this question. How does a cat go from feet up to feet down in a falling reference frame without violating the c... Read More

Key Insights

• 😻 Cats use a gyro in their ear or their eyes to determine which way is up when falling.
• 😺 Cats can rotate their bodies mid-air by dividing their body into separate rotational axes.
• 👻 Manipulating their moment of inertia allows cats to stop their rotation and land on their feet.
• 🖕 Cats' flexible backbones contribute to their ability to rotate in mid-air.
• 😺 The cat righting reflex is a natural instinct that allows cats to reorient themselves while falling.
• 😺 Even cats with bobtails are able to rotate their bodies and land on their feet.
• 😺 Cats can perform controlled rotations by manipulating their moment of inertia.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do cats determine which way is up when falling?

Cats use a gyro in their ear or their eyes to determine which way is up when falling. They rely on this information to orient their body correctly in mid-air.

Q: What is Newton's first law and how does it relate to a falling cat?

Newton's first law states that an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted on by an external force. In the case of a falling cat, there are no external forces acting on it, so its angular momentum must be conserved.

Q: How do cats rotate their bodies mid-air?

Cats are able to rotate their bodies mid-air by dividing their body into separate rotational axes. They manipulate their moment of inertia by pulling their front paws in and pushing their back legs away from them, creating opposite rotations.

Q: How do cats stop their rotation and land on their feet?

Cats stop their rotation and land on their feet by extending their front and back legs at the right moment. This allows them to manipulate their moment of inertia and counteract the rotation, resulting in a controlled landing.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Cats determine which way is up when falling using a gyro in their ear or their eyes.

• Cats are able to rotate their bodies mid-air by dividing their body into separate rotational axes.

• By manipulating their moment of inertia, cats are able to stop their rotation and land on their feet.