Evolution often requires compromise between competing effects. Large-eared bats, for example, rely on the size of their ears to aid their echolocation, but such large ears can hurt them aerodynamically, Keep reading
Tag: lift generation
Perching Physics
Compared to birds, manmade aircraft tend to be quite limited and inelegant. Fixed-wing aircraft, for example, require long, flat areas for take-off and landing, whereas birds of all sizes are Keep reading
Frisbee Physics
Frisbees are a popular summertime toy, but they involve some pretty neat physics, too. Two key ingredients to their long flight times are their lift generation and spin. A frisbee Keep reading