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How mosquitos deal with getting hit by raindrops
- state 11y agoCan't help but immediately notice: "Drawing by Robert Krulwich"
- sohkamyung 11y agoYes, Robert Krulwich has joined the Nat Geo Phenomena blogging platform [ http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/blog/curiously-krulwich/ http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/blog/curiously-krulw... ]
- k_brother 11y agoI think the commenter meant that Krulwich actually illustrated the piece too. Who knew Krulwich could draw!
- sohkamyung 11y agoAh, I see. My bad. Yes, Krulwich does draw pretty well.
- developer1 11y agoOf course the video doesn't show anything interesting, the mosquito's leg is hardly even grazed. I was definitely hoping for the version where a drop smacked the insect dead on target. Fairly strange for a lab result - if that's the only video that was captured, it really doesn't seem to divulge much at all. Where's the cool video? :D
- e2e8 11y agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ88ny09ruM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ88ny09ruM
- lucb1e 11y agoDirect hit just after the minute mark: https://youtu.be/LQ88ny09ruM?t=1m3s https://youtu.be/LQ88ny09ruM?t=1m3s
- mordrax 11y agoWatching it several times, it looks like only the left most mozzie came out unscathed. The other two took it hard and went down... definitely didn't 'walk off the bus' :\
- loisaidasam 11y agoI was checking out that Andrew Dickerson dude's Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/andrew52987/videos https://www.youtube.com/user/andrew52987/videos - it's like a showcase for mosquito torture! Check out this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s1_f9fyjME https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s1_f9fyjME
- rlu 11y agoYeah it's weird especially since you just get done reading about how they get away with getting hit between the wings and then you get told "if you want to see this for yourself, watch the video" ... lol Still a good read with fun drawings :)
- jmckib 11y agoTo me it looked like he linked the wrong video accidentally, since it didn't match up with the text at all.
- theVirginian 11y agoIt would appear they haven't yet evolved to deal with being hit by cars quite as gracefully.
- whoopdedo 11y agoI think this can be approached the same as the "ants can lift 50 times their own weight" bit of trivia. It doesn't translate to "if a human were as strong as an ant he'd be able to lift an elephant" because size doesn't scale that way. Ants and mosquitoes get away with larger forces relative to their mass because the skeleton and muscles needed are still within reasonable material and fuel costs. A human-sized animal that wanted to survive being hit by a car would need to spend much more energy per mass than the insect does.
- rokhayakebe 11y agoI just realized how making things fun and funny can help to teach anything. The drawings and the comical tone made this seem so approachable. I wish they had a series of 1000 of such lessons I could read.
- KnightOfWords 11y agoHere's his old blog on NPR: http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/ http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/ Probably not 1000, but perhaps getting on for it.
- rokhayakebe 11y agoThank you for sharing.
- dgemm 11y ago> But because our mosquito is oh-so-light, the raindrop moves on, unimpeded, and hardly any force is transferred. All that happens is that our mosquito is suddenly scooped up by the raindrop and finds itself hurtling toward the ground at a velocity of roughly nine meters per second, an acceleration which can’t be very comfortable, because it puts enormous pressure on the insect’s body, up to 300 gravities worth, says professor Hu. Interesting article, but in the span of one paragraph here we have confused velocity, acceleration, and pressure - and there are similar errors in the following one. For an article about physics, I would expect this to at least be proofread. The Gell-Mann Amnesia effect: http://harmful.cat-v.org/journalism/ http://harmful.cat-v.org/journalism/
- eru 11y agoIt is pretty sloppy, but if you assume that `pressure' is just meant as a synonym for `strain', which it is in normal English, it does make some sense. And velocity and acceleration aren't confused under a very charitable interpretation: they describe that the velocity changes `suddenly'. That's an acceleration. The real problem is here: > But because our mosquito is oh-so-light, the raindrop moves on, unimpeded, and hardly any force is transferred. We have a transfer of momentum (force times time), but no dissipation of energy (force times path).
- tempestn 11y ago> We have a transfer of momentum (force times time), but no dissipation of energy (force times path). Even the transfer of momentum is much less than it would be if the mosquito were heavier though. The droplet maintains most of its original momentum. That seems to be the point they're trying to make.
- eru 11y agoYes. Though for the mosquito it doesn't matter: transferring momentum doesn't damage you. An interesting human scale contrast is the following: You have (a) a heavy metal box or (b) a light wooden box and you throw (1) a bouncy rubber ball or (2) an equally heavy piece of clay at it. What happens in all four combinations? One observation: the rubber ball transfers more momentum, but almost no energy.
- jbert 11y agoDoes this places a reasonable selection pressure on the kinds of flying insects we can have? Big enough to shrug off a raindrop hit, or small enough to surf along the surface tension until it can slide off?
- baddox 11y agoButterflies just seek shelter. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-do-butterflies-do-wh/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-do-butterflie...
- chrismorgan 11y agoThe drawings in this article tend to be absurdly large, with the outcome that the document is, transferred, around 23MB, for no good reason. Sigh.
- Jgrubb 11y agoBecause editors.
- blumkvist 11y agoA commenter on the site says that some type of mosquitoes (Texas) are used in oil drilling. I tried googling "texas mosquitoes oil drilling" and variants, but didn't find anything. >"Why, one species even secretes an enzyme to dissolve the organic matter in blood leaving only the iron in haemoglobin. Then another enzyme causes the iron atoms to join to form biological drill pipe! These structures are known to be as much as 6 inches in diameter and to extend a mile deep." Is there something to it or he just went to on the internet to tell lies?
- coconutrandom 11y agoThat is a joke that makes more sense once you've been bitten there.
- dalke 11y agoThen there's the one about the mosquito that landed at [local air force base] and the fuel truck was half-way to it before they noticed it wasn't a fighter jet.
- briandear 11y agoIn Texas, we'd call that a tall tale.
- dalke 11y agoUp north a few winters back the weather was so cold that words froze up as you talked. People had to stand around a fire to have a conversation. When spring thaw finally came the sound of all the melting conversations was deafening. Then there was the time that Pecos Bill lassoed and rode a twister, but that's a tale for another time.
- blumkvist 11y agoI laughed for a good minute after reading your comment... Hope it counts!
- mordrax 11y ago> But because our mosquito is oh-so-light, the raindrop moves on, unimpeded, and hardly any force is transferred. So if the mosquito's weight is insignificant compared to that of the heavier and denser water drop and that's what keeps it from having the force transferred, would this equally apply to hailstorms? (Where our mosquitoes are pelted by small hail balls the size of raindrops)
- acyacy 11y agoYou don't really find mosquitoes where you're likely to find hailstorms.
- RBerenguel 11y agoIn Spain we definitely have mosquitos, and most Augusts we have these summery storms, sometimes bringing also hailstorms (sizze varies though between drop sized ice and golfball sized ice)
- acyacy 11y agoYou find them in these areas. When it gets cold there tends to be far fewer of them. And compared to the equators its nearly incomparible.
- Dove 11y agoCold isn't required for hailstorms. The ice forms at altitude. We have a lot of hailstorms in the spring and summer in Colorado, and while it isn't the mosquitoiest place I've ever lived, there are mosquitoes.
- acyacy 11y agoCompared with where its mosquito haven like by the Equator? I suppose raindrop vs hailstone is a reason is one of the reason's the density issues are so different.
- bnolsen 11y agoso if mosquiotos are oblivious to rain is there some way to make artificial rain with different properties that could destroy mosquitos en masse?
- chinathrow 11y agoYes, it's called poison and it's being done a lot. http://www.local10.com/news/plane-to-spray-for-mosquitoes-over-south-fla/27244642 http://www.local10.com/news/plane-to-spray-for-mosquitoes-ov... Ah you mean different mechanical properties ;)
- mark-r 11y agoAnything that causes the water to stick to them rather than letting them bounce off should work. Just mixing in a little soap maybe?
- Kiro 11y ago> In most direct hits, Hu and colleagues write, the insect is carried five to 20 body lengths downward > If you want to see this for yourself, take a look at Hu’s video What? Nothing like that happens in it.
- dasmoth 11y agoAre you confusing wing span with body length? In the right hand panel of the video, the insect certainly moves several body lengths, and is still moving downwards at the end of the clip.
- Kiro 11y agoNo, it says "20 body lengths downward, and then [...] gets up and “walks” to the side, then steps off into the air". In other words 20 body lengths while being in the raindrop, which doesn't happen in the video. In fact, the raindrop barely touches it.
- shuzchen 11y agoThe author might have had in mind some other video while writing that. This is another video from that same researcher that shows this: https://youtu.be/LQ88ny09ruM?t=1m5s https://youtu.be/LQ88ny09ruM?t=1m5s
- daniel-levin 11y agoFrom an io9 article on the same research: >> [Hu] and Dickerson constructed a flight arena consisting of a small acrylic cage covered with mesh to contain the mosquitoes but permit entry of water drops. The researchers used a water jet to simulate rain stream velocity while observing six mosquitoes flying into the stream. Amazingly, all the mosquitoes lived. The researchers used simulated rain drops on six mosquitoes. There are more than six species of mosquitoes. They controlled for wind effects (which are part and parcel of rain). So they excluded horizontally travelling raindrops. My immediate reaction to the conclusion that mosquitoes can fly in rain was "Really? Not always". Here is a methodologically lacking and wholly unscientific anecdote: I have lived in Johannesburg my entire life, where mosquitoes are quite prevalent during the summer months. When it is raining heavily (it is usually quite windy as well), the local species of mosquito that feeds of humans do not present a problem as the number of airborne mosquitoes tends to zero.
- joeyspn 11y ago^This I live in a mediterranean zone near a huge lake and during summer mosquitos are your every night companions (specially if you're working during late night hours). But when a summer storm brews the mosquitos disappear for two or three days. Why? This has been for me a recurrent question, and the answer has been always obvious: few of them survive being hit by raindrops. You can make 1000 theories about how our tiny vampire friends deal with raindrops, but it's pretty clear that intensive rain (>3hours) wipe out mosquitos population for several days...
- soneca 11y agoI also agree. > "And yet (you probably haven’t looked, but trust me), when it’s raining those little pains in the neck are happily darting about in the air, getting banged—and they don’t seem to care." I have looked and I don't trust you. I live in Brazil where mosquitoes are present all the time, even in the city (obviously, on a smaller scale than places closer to nature). I do notice that whenever is raining there is a sharp drop in mosquitoes number flying inside our homes. They don't completely disappear, but is notorious they are in much smaller numbers. As this is common knowledge over years and years, across basically all the people, I don't consider it anecdote, but empirical observation. I cannot answer if that is because raindrops kill them, or they just preserve themselves sheltered in their nests, or they breed less in rainy days, or whatever. But the article (not sure about the research) is based on a false premisse.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- dharma1 11y agoif you like watching slo mo videos, recommend this channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/theslowmoguys/videos https://www.youtube.com/user/theslowmoguys/videos
- nippoo 11y ago"Had the raindrop slammed into a bigger, slightly heavier animal, like a dragonfly, the raindrop would “feel” the collision and lose momentum. The raindrop might even break apart because of the impact, and force would transfer from the raindrop to the insect’s exoskeleton, rattling the animal to death." Has anyone actually done any research on dragonflies being hit by raindrops, or is this just speculation?
- ebbv 11y agoIf it wasn't for the cute child like drawings this would be a truly terrible piece of link bait. As it is it's still pretty and, and I expect better from NatGeo. Anyone who lives in a mosquito heavy area knows that mosquitos (like almost all airborne insects) go into hiding during heavy rain and/or wind.
- upofadown 11y ago>A study says a mosquito being hit by a raindrop is roughly the equivalent of a human being whacked by a school bus, the typical bus being about 50 times the mass of a person. That is not a sensible comparison. When you scale something mass changes as the cube of dimension. Strength changes as the square of dimension. So small things are inherently stronger with respect to their mass.
- JTon 11y agoThanks for the math to back up my own doubt. Fortunately, the bus analogy appears to be added by the author as a bit of sparkle and does not get brought up again.
- lfowles 11y agoI think it's a good analogy to have. You don't have the same results from bus:human::raindrop:mosquito, but the size comparison is a useful measure. I didn't realize a raindrop was 50x the mass of a mosquito. I thought they were roughly the same size. Further, it reinforces or introduces the idea (along with the conclusion of the study) that "So small things are inherently stronger with respect to their mass." Lastly, this is National Geographic. Anecdotes and analogies are useful to communicate to the general public.
- abandonliberty 11y ago[Citation Wanted] Very believable; how does the math work out?
- troymc 11y agoGalileo. Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences. 1638. It's known as the square-cube law. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square-cube_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square-cube_law
- abandonliberty 11y agoThanks - I hadn't realized that muscle strength was proportional purely to cross section.
- stillsut 11y agoSend this to Bill Gates, that guy HATES mosquitoes.
- Kluny 11y agoA man who thought, "When I'm a billionaire, I'm going to dedicate my life to getting rid of those nasty fuckers (mosquitoes)" and then did it.
- cJ0th 11y agovery interesting article. It is a pity that his column has no rss feed.
- jokr004 11y agoNot really important but.. "nine gravities (88/m/squared)" I don't get it, the scientificamerican blog that they are quoting has the right units, where did they come up with this?
- mleonhard 11y agoThe article embedded a short video. Here's longer video with explanations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ88ny09ruM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ88ny09ruM