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Re: Work/Energy theorem ?





On Tue, 18 Mar 1997, Leigh Palmer wrote:

...and let me add my compliments! A farting fly can achieve the power*
of a railroad locomotive when seen to emit while moving sufficiently
rapidly! I have to teach my students that energy is insubstantial; that
there is no such thing as "pure energy". I wish they had not picked up
that particular concept. Caloric does not belong in a modern curriculum.


Ok, I checked with a biologist. Here's his opinion on farting flies:

[begin forward]
From tyoho@eagle.lhup.edu Tue Mar 18 13:48:35 1997
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 13:34:30 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tim P. Yoho" <tyoho@eagle.lhup.edu>
To: "Donald E. Simanek" <dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu>
Subject: Re: Farting flies

Since they have a complete digestive tract equipped with an appropriate
anus, I would expect so since the same fermentation occurs within their
digestive tract as does in other animals. It is well known that termites
contribute considerable amounts of methane in their flatulance and are
considered to be adding to the greenhouse gas problem. They most likely
produce more than flies because of the large number of organisms in their
gut digesting or fermenting wood.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tim P. Yoho, Professor | To a Physiologist, |Amateur Radio: WA3D
Department of Biology | The Function of Life | (717) 893-2391
Lock Haven University | is Mechanistic not |Fax: (717) 893-2047
Lock Haven, PA. 17745 | Mysterious |tyoho@eagle.lhup.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[end of forward]

However, Tim's opinion is speculative, and he doesn't claim anyone has
observed fly flatulence in nature. Seems to me that this might make a
science fair project. Get some flies, glue them onto a sensitive inertial
balance, immobilize their wings and wait for some unbalance. You'd
probably get flak from the SPCI (Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to
Insects.)

-- Donald

......................................................................
Dr. Donald E. Simanek Office: 717-893-2079
Prof. of Physics Internet: dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu
Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA. 17745 CIS: 73147,2166
Home page: http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek FAX: 717-893-2047
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