Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by chromas on Thursday October 18 2018, @07:20PM   Printer-friendly
from the people-don't-think-nature-be-like-it-is,-but-it-do dept.

Dandelion seeds fly using 'impossible' method never before seen in nature

Dandelion seeds fly using a method that researchers thought couldn't work in the real world, according to a study published on 17 October in Nature.

When some animals, aeroplanes or seeds fly, rings of circulating air called vortices form in contact with their wings or wing-like surfaces. These vortices can help to maintain the forces that lift the animal, machine or seed into the air.

Researchers thought that an unattached vortex would be too unstable to persist in nature. Yet the light, puffy seeds of dandelions use vortices that materialize just above their surfaces and lift the seed into the air.

Also at the University of Edinburgh and BBC.

A separated vortex ring underlies the flight of the dandelion (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0604-2) (DX)


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by arslan on Thursday October 18 2018, @10:17PM

    by arslan (3462) on Thursday October 18 2018, @10:17PM (#750686)

    Easy. A tornado will easily lift meat and bones up in the air.... but joking aside, reading the article it looks like they were able to mimic this using silicon discs simulating the spoke model of the dandy seeds. The model had to be very close, a difference of 10% or more and the vortex is not sustained. I suppose there's potential here to apply to various flying apparatus to complement flight.

    Also, folks use paragliders for all sorts of fun nowadays utilizing wind lifts, so maybe we'll see someone with a giant man-made dandy ball on the beach one day?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Interesting=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Interesting' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3