Bees: Defying Aviation Laws And Soaring High

The idea that bees shouldn't be able to fly is a popular misconception. The opening of the Bee Movie states:

> According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible.

However, this is a myth. Bees do not break the laws of aviation. They simply fly in a completely different way to aeroplanes.

How bees fly

The idea that bees shouldn't be able to fly has been a popular misconception for almost 80 years. It was first suggested by French entomologist August Magnan in the 1930s, who noted that bees' wings were too small to get their bodies off the ground. This idea was propagated by the 2007 film Bee Movie, with the opening line:

> "According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway. Because bees don't care what humans think is impossible."

However, bees do not break the laws of physics. They simply fly in a different way to aeroplanes.

Aeroplanes fly thanks to a careful balance of four physical forces: lift, drag, weight, and thrust. The lift force must balance the plane's weight, and thrust must exceed drag. They use wings for lift and engines for thrust, and their large wingspan satisfies the lift equations for flight, so they don't need to flap their wings.

Bees, on the other hand, have small wings in relation to their body size, and they fly at low speeds. They create a dynamic stall above their wings, which leads to a large-scale "leading-edge vortex" on the upper side of the wing. This vortex produces significantly more lift than a linear approximation would allow. Bees also flap their wings back and forth, rather than up and down, creating a partial spin that generates vortices of air above their wings. These vortices are like small hurricanes, with lower pressure at their centre than the surrounding air, which helps the bees to stay aloft.

Bees' small size also helps them fly. Their tiny wings move so fast that they are in the viscous regime, meaning the air acts like thick syrup, or honey, allowing them to generate more lift.

The myth's origin

The origin of the myth that bees cannot fly according to the laws of aviation is uncertain, but it is thought to date back to the 1930s. One story attributes the myth to an unnamed Swiss physicist who, when asked how bees could fly, made some rough calculations and concluded that they shouldn't be able to. Another version of the story names French entomologist August Magnan as the originator of the myth, who noted that bees' haphazard wing-flapping made their flight seem impossible. Yet another version of the story names physicist Ludwig Prandtl, and others name Swiss aeronautical engineer Jakob Ackeret. However, it is probable that the story stems from a quote by French zoologist and aeronautical engineer Antoine Magnan, who wrote that he had "applied the laws of air resistance to insects, and I arrived, with Mr. Sainte-Laguë, at this conclusion that their flight is impossible."

The laws of physics

Bees do not break the laws of physics. If they did, they would be responsible for ripping apart time and space whenever they flew. The myth that bees shouldn't be able to fly is based on the assumption that bees fly like aeroplanes, which they do not.

Aeroplanes fly due to a careful balance of four physical forces: lift, drag, weight, and thrust. The lift force must balance its weight, and thrust must exceed drag, to make flying possible. Planes use wings for lift and engines for thrust. Bees, on the other hand, fly in a completely different way. They rotate their wings, creating pockets of low air pressure, which in turn create small eddies above the bee’s wing, lifting it into the air. This is further helped by their small size, which means that the Reynolds number associated with their flight puts them in the regime where the fluid is incredibly viscous.

The myth that bees can't fly dates back to the 1930s, when French entomologist August Magnan noted that bees' flight should be impossible because of the haphazard way their wings flapped around. However, this is not true, as bees do not fly like aeroplanes.

The role of aerodynamics

Bees achieve flight through a complex combination of wing movement and aerodynamic forces. Their wings rotate, creating pockets of low air pressure, which generate small eddies or vortices above the bees' wings. These vortices, akin to mini-hurricanes, produce lift, counteracting the force of gravity and allowing bees to stay aloft. This dynamic stall effect is a result of bees' flapping and rotating wing motions during an oscillation cycle.

The small size of bees also plays a crucial role in their flight capabilities. Due to their diminutive stature, bees operate in a regime where the fluid is highly viscous. In simpler terms, the air around their wings behaves like thick syrup, providing additional lift and enabling them to generate more lift than larger creatures, such as planes, would in similar conditions.

The intricate physics governing bees' flight has sparked curiosity and research for decades. Scientists have conducted various tests, including high-speed photography, force sensors, and laser tracking, to unravel the mysteries of bees' aerodynamics.

In conclusion, bees' flight does not violate the laws of aviation but instead showcases an incredible adaptation to the challenges of flight in the insect world. Their ability to generate lift through wing rotation and exploit the viscous properties of air at their scale highlights the complex and fascinating role of aerodynamics in bees' flight capabilities.

The effect on the ecosystem

Bees are essential to the ecosystem. They are the world's most important pollinators, and without them, the food chain would collapse. Bees are responsible for pollinating approximately 75% of the world's food crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and field crops. They also play a vital role in maintaining the health of natural habitats, such as forests and grasslands.

The decline in bee populations, known as colony collapse disorder, has had a significant impact on the ecosystem. It has led to a reduction in the number of flowers, plants, and trees, which has disrupted the food chain and threatened the survival of many species. The loss of bees has also affected the production of honey, which is a valuable food source for both humans and animals.

The effects of bee decline are felt most strongly in agricultural areas, where intensive farming practices have led to a decrease in bee-friendly habitats. Pesticide use, habitat destruction, and climate change have all contributed to the decline in bee populations. These factors have also impacted wild bee species, which are important pollinators of wild plants.

The impact of bee decline on the ecosystem has led to increased awareness of the importance of bees and efforts to protect and conserve bee populations. This includes creating bee-friendly habitats, reducing pesticide use, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Conservation efforts have also focused on protecting wild bee species and their habitats, recognizing their vital role in the ecosystem.

The effects of bee decline on the ecosystem highlight the interconnectedness of species and the delicate balance of nature. Bees are a key species, and their survival is crucial for the health and stability of the planet. Protecting bee populations is not just important for the bees themselves but also for the countless other species that depend on them for food and habitat.

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