Where would physics be without cats? No Schrödinger’s thought experiment; no FDC Willard; no Cheshire cat effect in quantum realm; really, the entire discipline would be reduced. But cats without ...

When cats fall, they usually land on their feet. This uncanny ability to right themselves before hitting the ground has long puzzled scientists. Now, a team from Yamaguchi University in Japan has the ...

In 1894, French physiologist Étienne-Jules Marey tried to resolve a particularly vexing question in science: How do cats always seem to land on their feet when they fall? Using the era’s rudimentary ...

Katie has a PhD in maths, specializing in the intersection of dynamical systems and number theory. She reports on topics from maths and history to society and animals. Katie has a PhD in maths, ...

Falling cats in the study also seemed to show a marked preference for turning to the right.

When falling cats turn themselves the right way up before they hit the ground, they have a secret trick: a region of their spine that is exceptional at twisting. “We compared the flexibility of the ...

The Height Problem Most People Don’t Know About For the righting reflex to work, a cat needs enough time in the air to adjust its position. Falls from very short distances may not give it that chance.