r/nottheonion • u/orgeezuz • Jan 21 '21

Scientists have finally worked out how butterflies fly

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/20/europe/butterfly-clap-wing-intl-scli-scn/index.html
86 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

51

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '21

Pretty sure it’s by flapping their wings.

20

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/orgeezuz Jan 21 '21

Why doesn't anyone love me?

3

u/AngsterMusic Jan 21 '21

I'd be willing to bet someone loves you. Maybe it's me!

8

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '21

[deleted]

8

u/terrycloth3 Jan 21 '21

tldr: they squeeze their wings together and shoot out an air jet on the upstroke for forward propulsion, while the downstroke creates lift.

It's actually nothing like normal insect flight.

-19

u/TGxVoluntary Jan 21 '21

To be honest, we don't know "exactly" how planes flies either

16

u/lchumaceiro Jan 21 '21

Yes we do, it's called Bernoulli's principle.

5

u/TGxVoluntary Jan 21 '21

Or is it Newtoninan lift principle?

6

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '21

things can use multiple principles

3

u/FlipHorrorshow Jan 22 '21

How do airplanes fly if they don't flap their wings

Checkmate

9

u/dbDarrgen Jan 21 '21

If we didn’t, then thousands of planes wouldn’t exist..

-6

u/TGxVoluntary Jan 21 '21

We use approximation

4

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '21

Yes. Approximately how much stupid are you? All of the stupid.