Isaac Newton, the famous physicist, might not have been able to discover the laws of motion if he had only studied cats. When you drop a cat from a second-story window, according to Newton’s laws, the cat should land on its back. However, most cats manage to twist themselves mid-air and land on their feet, avoiding injury. This acrobatic feat has puzzled scientists for over a century, leading them to wonder about the physics behind it.
Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek explains that the mathematical theorem analyzing a falling cat as a mechanical system does not apply to real biological cats. Cats are not closed mechanical systems; they can consume stored energy to empower their mechanical motion. Despite this, the laws of physics do apply to cats and all other animals, from insects to elephants. Biology and physics are intertwined, with animals exploiting physical laws in various ways to move, breathe, and survive.
In the field of animal behavior physics, researchers have made significant progress in understanding individual behaviors and how they are influenced by interactions with other individuals and the environment. By studying how animals perform their skills, scientists can gain new insights into physics and potentially discover new knowledge by investigating abilities that are not yet understood.
Animals utilize physics in their movements across different spatial scales. At the smallest scale, attractive forces between atoms enable geckos and insects to climb walls and walk on ceilings. Textures and structures play a role in providing adhesion for biological movements. For example, bird feathers have tiny hooks and barbs that act like Velcro, enhancing lift during flight.
Biological textures also aid movement by creating friction between animal parts and surfaces. Snakes, such as California king snakes and sidewinding snakes, have evolved different textures to facilitate movement in various directions. Microstructures on animals can make their bodies superhydrophobic, preventing water penetration and enabling water droplet shedding in wet climates.
These water-blocking surfaces help animals stay clean and protect them from skin-borne parasites and infections. Some animals rely on self-cleansing mechanisms to maintain their surface properties for camouflage. Studying these interactions between animals and physics can provide valuable insights into both animal behavior and fundamental physics principles.
