>>>>> "seebs" == seebs  <seebs@plethora.net> writes:

seebs> In message <19990706144534.E29001@fundy.ca>, David Maxwell
seebs> writes:
>> On Tue, Jul 06, 1999 at 08:58:35AM -0700, John Nemeth wrote:
>>> At one point, the theory of aeronautics said that bees can't
>>> fly...

>> As for the Bees, I've often wondered what the, err 'Bug' in the
>> theory was? Don't suppose you know the flaw?

seebs> I'm told that bee wings are flexible, and can curve a little,
seebs> and we didn't realize this.  Could be wrong.

To continue the off-topic thread:

I heard it was (at least in part) because the theories that were
invoked were only looking for the Venturi effect and related things.
And what makes bees fly is these huge (relatively speaking) cyclones
of turbulence that they create at the edges of their wings.  The
little cyclones have very low air pressure.

IANAAE (AE == "Aeronautical Engineer"), though.  :)

Chris

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------cjones@math.montana.edu
Chris Jones                                          cjones@honors.montana.edu
           Mad scientist at large                    cjones@nervana.montana.edu
"Is this going to be a stand-up programming session, sir, or another bug hunt?"