hey, look. this one's interesting. (sorta.) (it all being relative.)

[fflo]

I wouldn't mind being named "Z. Jane Wang."

"Energy-minimizing kinematics in hovering insect flight" by Gordon J. Berman & Z. Jane Wang
J. Fluid Mech. 582 (2007), 153--168

Summary: "We investigate aspects of hovering insect flight by finding the optimal wing kinematics which minimize power consumption while still providing enough lift to maintain a time-averaged constant altitude over one flapping period. In particular, we study the flight of three insects whose masses vary by approximately three orders of magnitude: fruitfly (Drosophila melanogaster), bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), and hawkmoth (Manduca sexta). Here, we model an insect wing as a rigid body with three rotational degrees of freedom. The aerodynamic forces are modelled via a quasi-steady model of a thin plate interacting with the surrounding fluid. The advantage of this model, as opposed to the more computationally costly method of direct numerical simulation via computational fluid dynamics, is that it allows us to perform optimization procedures and detailed sensitivity analyses which require many cost function evaluations. The optimal solutions are found via a hybrid optimization algorithm combining aspects of a genetic algorithm and a gradient-based optimizer. We find that the results of this optimization yield kinematics which are qualitatively and quantitatively similar to previously observed data. We also perform sensitivity analyses on parameters of the optimal kinematics to gain insight into the values of the observed optima. Additionally, we find that all of the optimal kinematics found here maintain the same leading edge throughout the stroke, as is the case for nearly all insect wing motions. We show that this type of stroke takes advantage of a passive wing rotation in which aerodynamic forces help to reverse the wing pitch, similar to the turning of a free-falling leaf."

Comments

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

Decades ago, some wag said that it was theoretically impossible for a bumblebee to fly. This this little truism, was frequently used to mock science as being completely stymied by the simplest phenomenon, and as nobody especially likes to be mocked, it put a bee in bee in aerodynamicists bonnets. And so every few years, another paper comes out proving that it *is* theoretically possible for a bumblebee to fly, so shut up about it already.

Just sort of a reminder of that stale old war between the humanities and the sciences. Fortunately, I think that there's a cease-fire, now that the same politicans are showing contempt for both.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

funny--- my (humanties type) boss scrawlspace was just referring this morning to a formula a guy who used to work here had explained showing how, since a larger turkey takes less time to cook (presumably per pound) than a smaller one, an infinitely large turkey would need no cooking at all.

studies have yet to reveal whether the diners thereon indeed do not fall ill.

btw, i think the humanities people often forget the science people exist. perhaps explaining some lulls in combat.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

An infinitely large turkey, having no surface area per pound of flesh to readiate away its metabolic heat, would cook itself to death.

I've been hanging out in filk, an artistic community where half the artists are scientists. So maybe I've just found a place that's utopian in that regard.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

i'm just listening to that ol' laurie anderson, "let x=x," on internet radio. remember that one?

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

I haven't listened to Laurie Anderson much in a lot of years. I remember "Let X Equal X," at least from the beginning. That was "Big Science" wasn't it. A lot of the stuff on that runs together in my head. You can't have an album with a title like "Big Science" with cover art of the artist in a lab coat wearing blinders without getting a just a little inkling that this is an artist on the front lines of the art vs. science wars.

"big science, halleluja, every man for himself."

[fflo.livejournal.com]

that's the one!

[shmizla.livejournal.com]

i betcha jane has adopted a new name upon coming to the land of your peopleses. it is most common. all th e other foreigners have been asked what their "american' name might be at some point,, but a person from jane's land. i'm sad to say baptist missionaries may have something to do with this unfortunate phenomenon.

[shmizla.livejournal.com]

BY a person, that is. the font is too small to read when i type.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

it's the "Z" that's the draw. hey, you could pronounce it "Zed". Zed Jane Wang. Three great monosyllables.

[shmizla.livejournal.com]

right. not bad that way. i do admire people who have initial-name-lastname.