http://www.straightdope.com/columns/080516.html
Obviously falling raindrops don’t kill or injure us, for the reasons stated. But are they as fearsome and destructive to tiny insects as shown in movies such as A Bug’s Life and Antz?
I think it was another column that said they’re even worse than that. The droplets bind the insects in a tight liquid jail of suffocation.
There’s this recent Staff Report by Doug. I can’t find anything about quite how they’re affected.
The rain thing is a nice way of explaining terminal velocity. As for the skydiver’s “pointy end” comment, I expect he was kidding - how could you resist a great line like that?
:: bump ::
Anyone else?
You really need to know this that bad?
The velocity/momentum of raindrops isn’t really a problem for insects. (Unlike in movies, where they’re ton-sized boulders.) The reason for this is that the world changes as you change sizes (something that doesn’t happen in movies, which seem governed by human-scale physics). On smaller scales, things basically have a lot more strength (think superman in a yellow sun), and even though in proportion to insects the raindrops are huge and are fast, like ton-sized bolders to a human, in the tiny-scale world of insects boulders ain’t a sweat.
The worst thing that can happen to an insect is to get glued to a waterdroplet. Although the insects evolved special skin against this, if it does happen the insect can’t fly and sometimes can’t breathe.
What can I say? My thirst for knowledge is unquenchable.
At the risk of repeating myself, it’s a good question.
Thank you! Hadn’t seen that earlier thread.