# Cats in zero gravity **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 27, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701 "2016-12-27T15:42:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/1 "2016-12-27T15:42:54Z")
See the video (the third graphic) here - [Cat righting reflex - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_righting_reflex). I have to admit I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/2 "2016-12-27T16:09:13Z")
Not sure if that is a case of “poor kitty” or “No birds shall be safe from us now” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/3 "2016-12-27T16:16:38Z")
Here’s a good video from Smarter Every Day about cat’s righting reflex. Also, it’s always worth watching…and later re-watching his video on the [backwards bike](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0). Seriously, it’s a really good watch. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/4 "2016-12-27T20:12:29Z")
I didn’t see no cats! Endless droning about F-104 ejector seats. And what’s with that crooked ass building at the beginning? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/5 "2016-12-27T20:24:50Z")
[zero-G dog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU9USxJ9vPs). In fact, here’s [a whole bunch of animals in zero-G.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSQFcVUNiEg) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/6 "2016-12-27T20:34:23Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Here’s a good video from Smarter Every Day about cat’s righting reflex. > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtWbpyjJqrU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtWbpyjJqrU)… Thanks - good stuff, and it included some of the Air Force “vomit comet” footage. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/7 "2016-12-27T21:00:06Z")
If you go to the bottom and click the Buttered Cat Paradox, you will find another interesting discussion: _“Toast, being an inanimate object, lacks both the ability and the desire to right itself. Toast typically lands on the floor butter-side-down due to the manner in which it is typically dropped from a table. As the toast falls from the table, it rotates. Given the typical speed of rotation for a slice of toast as it falls from the table and the typical height of a table, a slice of toast that began butter-side-up on the table will land butter-side-down on the floor in 81% of cases.”_ I believe strawberry jam on toast will raise that much closar to 100%. I bet you can’t read this without an overpowering urge to go in the kitchen and make a piece of toast. And eat it, without dropping it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/8 "2016-12-27T21:05:30Z")
Must not… make… buttered… toast… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/9 "2016-12-27T21:10:09Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > If you go to the bottom and click the Buttered Cat Paradox, you will find another interesting discussion: > > _“Toast, being an inanimate object, lacks both the ability and the desire to right itself. Toast typically lands on the floor butter-side-down due to the manner in which it is typically dropped from a table. As the toast falls from the table, it rotates. Given the typical speed of rotation for a slice of toast as it falls from the table and the typical height of a table, a slice of toast that began butter-side-up on the table will land butter-side-down on the floor in 81% of cases.”_ > > I believe strawberry jam on toast will raise that much closar to 100%. > > I bet you can’t read this without an overpowering urge to go in the kitchen and make a piece of toast. And eat it, without dropping it. Considering that I don’t believe the weight of the jelly vs the weight of the toast will allow the toast to over rotate a full 180 degrees and land right side up, or at least far enough to bounce on it’s side and land that way AND the fact that I’ll be the one cleaning up the mess, no, can honestly say I don’t have the desire to try it. I’m sure my dogs would be more than thrilled though. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/10 "2016-12-27T22:58:58Z")
Thank you. I’m going through a horrible depressive episode right now, and you just made me laugh until I cried. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/11 "2016-12-28T00:13:20Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Considering that I don’t believe the weight of the jelly vs the weight of the toast will allow the toast to over rotate a full 180 degrees and land right side up, or at least far enough to bounce on it’s side… Doesn’t that depend on how much backspin you put on it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/12 "2016-12-28T03:22:58Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Thank you. I’m going through a horrible depressive episode right now, and you just made me laugh until I cried. Glad to help, and hope things get _much_ better for you soon! ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/13 "2016-12-28T03:40:10Z")
The poor airmen who had the handle those traumatized kitties.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-in-zero-gravity/775701/14 "2016-12-29T04:18:13Z")
I notice they’re wearing gloves to protect against any zero-G clawing.