csdf@mit-vax.UUCP (Charles Forsythe) (08/16/85)
In article <41500005@ur-univax.UUCP> stro@ur-univax.UUCP writes: >I do not know much about these 250 birds, so perhaps someone can enlighten >me: How do we know these birds flew, anyway. Just because they had wings? A better question is: how do bumble-bees fly? (You know, the big fat ones!) Last I heard, nobody could "scientifically" explain their aerodynamics. This is living proof of "catastrophic" evolution! You see, bumble-bees are piloted by small elves. The elves are magic and can make them fly at will. The problem is that the elves live off the fumes of burning leaded gasoline. Here's the clincher: in a few years, all the cars that burn leaded gas will stop running - so there will BE NO MORE LEADED GAS! This will, of course, spell death for the elves. The bumble-bees, without their elven pilots, will drop like flies! The funny thing is, that a few years after that, some stupid evolutionist is going to pick one up and say "these bugs died because they were too big to fly." Just goes to show you... -- Charles Forsythe CSDF@MIT-VAX "We pray to Fred for the Hopelessly Normal Have they not suffered enough?" from _The_Nth_Psalm_ in _The_Book_of_Fred_
peter@baylor.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (08/19/85)
> A better question is: how do bumble-bees fly? (You know, the big fat ones!) > Last I heard, nobody could "scientifically" explain their aerodynamics. This > is living proof of "catastrophic" evolution! Actually (lest some creationist or Velikovskian jump upon this) the famous study that showed bees can't fly was a static analysis of bee aerodynamics and showed that, yes, if a bee was a glider it couldn't fly. -- Peter da Silva (the mad Australian werewolf) UUCP: ...!shell!neuro1!{hyd-ptd,baylor,datafac}!peter MCI: PDASILVA; CIS: 70216,1076
throopw@rtp47.UUCP (Wayne Throop) (08/20/85)
> A better question is: how do bumble-bees fly? (You know, the big fat ones!) > Last I heard, nobody could "scientifically" explain their aerodynamics. Yes, I realize that this posting was a joke, but this raises an interesting common misconception. The calculation resulting in the conclusion "bumble-bees can't fly" was done using aerodynamic equations and assumptions of a fixed-wing aircraft, engine of power so-and-so, etc. The calculation was done as a joke, by some engineers in the 50's. It was promptly picked up and distorted by the infamous Sunday Science Supplements of the time, and became instant folklore, an example of something that science can't explain. -- "I't a JOKE, son. I keep throw'n 'em, and you keep miss'n 'em." Foghorn Leghorn -- Wayne Throop at Data General, RTP, NC <the-known-world>!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!throopw
friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) (08/21/85)
In article <647@mit-vax.UUCP> csdf@mit-vax.UUCP (Charles Forsythe) writes: > >A better question is: how do bumble-bees fly? (You know, the big fat ones!) >Last I heard, nobody could "scientifically" explain their aerodynamics. This >is living proof of "catastrophic" evolution! > Actually, this *has* been figured out. It seems that Bumblebees, and insects in general, fly on different principles than birds and airplanes.(Well, mostly - Hummingbirds come close to Bumblebees in flight dynamics). >The funny thing is, that a few years after that, some stupid evolutionist is >going to pick one up and say "these bugs died because they were too big to >fly." Just goes to show you... > Exactly! This is exactly my point. In fact Bumblebees are a good example of poor analysis producing absurd results. Why *couldn't* a 250 pound bird fly? After all many ton airplanes fly quite well, and they use much the same principles as most birds. -- Sarima (Stanley Friesen) {trwrb|allegra|cbosgd|hplabs|ihnp4|aero!uscvax!akgua}!sdcrdcf!psivax!friesen or {ttdica|quad1|bellcore|scgvaxd}!psivax!friesen