Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics

by Gregory J. Gbur

How do cats land on their feet? Discover how this question stumped brilliant minds and how its answer helped solve other seemingly impossible puzzles

The question of how falling cats land on their feet has long intrigued humans. In this playful and eye-opening history, physicist and cat parent Gregory Gbur explores how attempts to understand the cat-righting reflex have provided crucial insights into puzzles in mathematics, geophysics, neuroscience, and human space exploration.

The result is an engaging tumble through physics, physiology, photography, and robotics to uncover, through scientific debate, the secret of the acrobatic performance known as cat-turning, the cat flip, and the cat twist. Readers learn the solution but also discover that the finer details still inspire heated arguments. As with other cat behavior, the more we investigate, the more surprises we discover.

Genres: Science, Physics, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Cats, History, Animals

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 2020

About the author

Gregory J. Gbur is professor of physics and optical science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He contributed to the book Science Blogging: The Essential Guide and writes two blogs about horror and the history of science.

Reviews

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley

Gosh I loved this book! Science + cats? Oh hell yes. How wouldn’t I like it? When you read the blurb or otherwise learn about a book that somebody has written on falling cats and the science around it, you inevitably think – wait, is this for real? This is seriously a book? You’d be tempted to think it’s ONLY about cats falling, but come on – who’d be able to write 250+ pages on that? (Actually, I’ll read it if you try.) It’s about way more than just falling cats – it’s about science history, biology, mechanics, prep for space travel and even robotics.

And yes, cats. Even robot cats.

If you want to read more about cats, scientists and why horses run so incredibly weirdly in old paintings, read the full post here:



I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

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[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moral of the story: cats are amazing, majestic, mysterious beings that defy all explanation and deserve our respect (and stop throwing them off of things for science!)

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers everything even vaguely related to the scientific exploration of why cats always land on their feet. A somewhat technical book that covers everything from the history of physics, the history of photography, the various controversies and hypotheses, cat biology and neuroscience, mechanics, space travel, pendulums, quantum physics, and biorobotics, along with some side tangents such as cat tongues and scientist's cats. I found the book interesting and informative, not to mention fairly entertaining to read.

[Artsalnov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Кошки - это прекрасно! И книженция с кислотно-розовым названием «загадка падающей кошки и фундаментальная физика» не может не заинтересовать!
Что мы имеем в итоге?
Начал некий неизвестный мне доселе чувак по фамилии Гбур «за здравие», а дальше, по-моему, и автор и я заскучали вместе, где-то на главе про рефлексы....
В целом познавательно, пара-тройка моментов прям понравилась: про историю фотографии, про эффект Мпембы (есть оказывается и такой).... анекдот про кошку и котёнка Ньютона прекрасный, да.... вот собсно и все)
Что не понравилось, так то, как чувак передаёт привет «Советам»... ну, я то про кошек хочу, а он мне про про то, что Гагарин обогнал американцев (видимо лично) всего на месяц и «в целом не заслуживает исторического внимания», операция «Скрепка» -хорошо, а вот немецкие учёные в Советском союзе - это дула автоматов, гулаг и «вотэтовотвсё».... мазнул и перечеркнул все впечатление от книжки.

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Scientifically, we have learned a lot from cats, and it's time for that story to be told."

Cats have become the staple of the internet. They are cute, furry, and often hilarious to watch - they are, at once, deadly predators and slapstick comedians. But they are also a favourite subject of many scientists mainly because of their ability to land on their feet when they fall. In his book, Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, physicist and cat parent, Gregory J Gbur, looks at the scientists throughout history who have been intrigued by it; the experiments and photographs taken to try to understand it; the explanations and controversies about how it's done, some of which still exist today; as well as it's applications in many different areas including space exploration, robotics, neuroscience, and mathematics. The book is interesting, well-written, well-researched, easily accessible and surprisingly fun. To anyone who decides to read it, I recommend taking a close look at the illustrations by Sarah Addy - there is a charming and playful wit to them that adds to the enjoyment of Falling Felines. I have to say, of all the science books that I've read this year, not to say there's been many, but I definitely enjoyed this one the most.

Just one final word of caution: According to the author, no cats were hurt in the making of this book. Please, don't drop your cats to test any of the hypotheses.

Thanks to Netgally and Yale University Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading the ARC of this book so much that I already pre-ordered a physical copy. Such a fun read, and you don’t have to be an expert in physics to understand the text.

[Jeff Moreau · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many fun stories and cat facts... Lots of takeaways that I'll look forward to sharing with students, when relevant. A great resource for me, as a physics teacher, but not something that I would recommend to those with far fewer physics interests. About 20% longer than it needed to be, with several "asides" that went on for awhile. I still enjoyed it :)

[Nicole Geub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very scientific and kinda hard to follow on audio but still got some great information

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book about how cats land on their feet and why physics says they shouldn’t.

[Charles Payet · Rating 5 out of 5]

First a confession: In part, I originally bought the book because I’ve met the author, Greg Gbur, in person. We originally connected on Twitter, then discovered that we lived quite close to each other, so of course we had to meet. He’s a great guy! So when I learned that he had published a book about cats & physics, I felt that I had to support him by purchasing a copy. Since I’m a dog person, I wasn’t sure how much the book would appeal to me.

Once I began reading though, I realized, “Wow, Greg is actually a terrific writer and science communicator, too!” 😁. I ripped through the first 50 pages in 30 minutes and loved every word. I’ve long had an amateur’s passionate interest in physics (just as long as no equations are involved!), so a fair number of the ideas discussed were familiar to me. However, Greg wove humor, personality, and history into them, all through the fascinating story of how cats manage to land on their feet when falling. With successive questions posed and possibilities raised & discarded, with new technology to visualize, & mathematics to describe, it’s a truly fascinating & enjoyable read. I would never imagined, just how complicated a falling cat’s motion is! I’m also disappointed, that the book is already over, but I couldn’t put it down.

If you love cats, physics, human stories, history, etc, this is a fun, educational (in the way education should be), and thoroughly enjoyable book. Two paws up!

[عدنان العبار · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book presents a history of the physics of the cat's reflex at righting itself as it falls. This is such an interesting book, filled with interesting anecdotes on cats and physicists and neuroscientists and physiologists and mathematicians who tried to understand the phenomenon, as well as an exposition of the relevant physics in a way that would entertain the reader at every point. What I really loved about this book is the history of photography presented therewith, especially as it is strongly related to the issue at hand.

[Sophie Pesek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gift from Aline! I loved this for so many reasons. The entire book is a series of tangents (tbh this does seem like the only way to write almost 300 pages on falling cats) but I loved the obscure information on the origins of photography, quantum mechanics and tangents about scientists and their cats. I enjoyed reading the biographies of so many nearly forgotten researchers- plus, any details about scientific feuds and drama is my ideal celebrity gossip.

[Noori Dyo]

As a huge cat lover (I don't know if I can call myself a catperson since I love dogs with the same amount of love xD) I enjoyed the book. It was a great mixture of history, physics, and cats! I thought I would be struggling to recall everything I learned about physics during my high-school years but I was worried for nothing. The book didn't overwhelm me with theories but just let me enjoy the text with a good flow.

[Karo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a physics based degree and I live with two cats. Conclusion: I just had to read this book. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geniale.

[Esther Ben-Koheleth · Rating 5 out of 5]

По воле случая стала обладательницей совершенно уникальной инфы. Вообще, это сокровенная тайна, но вы же никому не расскажете.
Оказывается, есть на свете несколько вещей, которые медленно, но верно отравляют жизнь учёных-физиков. Одна из них - загадка падающей кошки. Вот что за устройство заставляет ушасто-хвостатых переворачиваться в воздухе, даже если они начинают падение кверху пушистым брюхом? Что ещё за фокусы?
Великие умы человечества не одно столетие бьются над этим вопросом, пытаясь полноценно уронить мехового зверя. Убедившись, что по части приземлений коты демонстрируют строгий консерватизм, всякий раз перекувыркиваясь так, чтобы очутиться на лапах, дотошные физики возжелали конкретики, силясь рассмотреть детали переворачивания.
Первым делом они постарались надыбать как можно больше вводных данных для анализа. Но это оказалось лишь первой ступенью огромного многоуровневого научно-экспериментального квеста. Сперва учёным потребовалось изобрести что-то, улавливающее и корректно фиксирующее каждое движение летящей с энной высоты кошки. Так придумался предвестник фотографии. Что, кстати, отразилось даже на изобразительном искусстве: художники отныне перестали рисовать, скажем, скачущих лошадей с вывернутыми фиг пойми как копытами, словно они их вот-вот откинут. Картины живых существ в движении стали менее наркоманскими и более приближенными к реальности. Мелочь, а приятно.

Вообще, в книге скрыты залежи суперинтересной информации относительно почти всего на свете! Это только кажется, что книжка о физике и котейках. Стоит чуть копнуть, как на свет Б-жий, крепко вцепившись в физику, вылезает химия, биология, медицина, в особенности анатомия, математика, геометрия, история, механика, искусство и уйма чего ещё! И всё это зацеплено за физику! Невероятно!

Серьёзную информацию автор умело сдабривает юмором в правильных пропорциях, что позволяет не только интеллектуально просветиться, но и поулыбаться.
Смешные истории из жизни знаменитых представителей естественных наук, которые тусили в своих рабочих и домашних лабораториях с котами - просто ван лав!
Предприимчивый Роберт Вуд, к примеру, придумал с помощи обычной меховой кошки чистить некую фигню с труднопроизносимым для меня названием, в которую было невозможно залезть человечьей клешнёй, но запихнуть сподручную кошку - легко. Завидую его жене - с таким хозяйственным мужем не пропадёшь!
Дисклеймер. В тексте всячески подчёркивается, что во время этих экспериментов никто не пострадал, ни один усик с котячьей мордочки не упал. Ни физических, ни моральных страданий причинено не было. Ну, может только учёные отхватывали то царапин, то укусов, но тут уж ничего не поделать - профессиональные риски. Главное, с котиками всё было оки. Вон Максвелл даже перед женой клялся-божился:
«В Тринити ходит байка о том, что я, когда работал здесь, открыл способ так бросить кошку, чтобы она приземлилась не на лапы, и что я имел обыкновение бросать кошек из окон. Пришлось объяснить, что подлинной целью исследования было выяснить, как быстро кошка перевернется, а подлинным методом — уронить кошку на стол или на кровать с высоты примерно двух дюймов и что даже в этих условиях кошка умудряется приземлиться на лапы». (с)

Представители гуманитарных наук, кстати, тоже не гнушались подбрасыванием кошек, но, делали это куда менее гуманным способном, преследуя шокирующее намерение. Если физики руководствовались вполне рациональными и логичными причинами, то грёбанные (другого слова и не подберу) философы бросали котеек дабы удостовериться, проявится ли испуг в их глазах. Прям брали и швыряли, прикиньте! Если испуг проявится - значит, живность наделена душой, ну а если нет - то, получается, нет. Ну просто обалдеть, не так ли?! Вот недаром я этих философов с юных лет недолюбливала: сидели, ничегошеньки не делали, только лясы точили да пакостничали всем, кому не попадя. Лучше бы работали, честное слово.

Короче, полностью разгадать загадку падающей кошки учёным пока не удалось, но много удивительных открытий они таки насовершали!
Относительно книжки так скажу. Её очень интересно читать! А ещё, она добавляет интеллектуальной богемности. После подобной литературы трудно оставаться на привычном примитивном уровне, появляется острая необходимость выходить на высокие слои мышления.

[gretafasurf ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cosa succederebbe se un luogo comune incontrasse la metodicità della ricerca scientifica?
Fisica, filosofia, fisiologia, matematica e cultura popolare si fondono in questo testo di sapere olistico, la cui domanda di fondo è: "Perché i gatti cadono sempre in piedi?".
Questo quesito a primo acchito ci sembra banale perché tutti bene o male sappiamo che questa è una peculiarità dei gatti, ma riflettendoci non saremmo in grado di dare una risposta che non derivi esclusivamente dalla nostra esperienza empirica con i felini o dalla tradizione proverbiale.
In molti nello scenario della fisica del XIX e XX secolo hanno tentato di studiare questo fenomeno con precisione, da Maxwell a Stokes passando per Newton, eppure nessuno di loro ci riuscì davvero. Perché?
La risposta è semplice: anche loro si basavano solo sulla capacità risolutiva e sull'immediatezza dei loro occhi, in assenza di altri strumenti.
Così, attraverso stimolanti e doverosi excursus che ci consentono di visualizzare più nitidamente il contesto di innovazioni quali la fotografia e le spedizioni nello spazio, il fisico Gregory J. Gbur ci guida in un viaggio che attraversa analiticamente tutti i principali strumenti tecnologici che nel corso del tempo ci hanno permesso di studiare sempre meglio il fenomeno assai singolare della caduta dei gatti.
Al di là dell'evoluzione in ambito tecnologico, vengono illustrate tutte le ipotesi formulate sulla conservazione del momento angolare dei gatti, sia da fisici tramite l'osservazione di fotogrammi di questo che da matematici tramite l'immaginazione della caduta "ideale" di questi felini.
L'esposizione di queste teorie da parte di un fisico rappresenta un atto di coraggio, che mette in luce non solo il progresso della fisica nel tempo ma anche i suoi attuali limiti, poiché è una scienza che si serve di ragionamenti basati sulla geometrizzazione che però spesso non si conforma all'analisi dei viventi.
Nel libro viene messo in luce e valorizzato anche l'essenziale contributo che i felini hanno portato alla ricerca scientifica negli anni, ispirando ai loro geniali padroni nuove teorie o rimanendo dei gatti "ideali" nella testa degli scienziati, come quello di Erwin Schrödinger.
La tesi di fondo di questo saggio, che l'autore vuole trasmettere e che mi spinge a consigliare questo libro anche a chi non è un grande appassionato di fisica, è che tutti fenomeni che ci circondano sono fenomeni fisici, indagabili dalla fisica e che tutto ciò che di questi ultimi diamo per scontato si traduce sempre in attentissime e dibattutissime analisi che mai ci aspetteremmo.
Dunque al di là del contenuto in se, certamente destinato ad un target abbastanza specifico di lettori, questa vuole essere una esortazione a non soffermarsi mai alle apparenze di un fenomeno dando per assunto che si verifichi sempre in maniera identica: osservate, riflettete, siate scienziati.

[Charty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars and four paws up for choosing the mystery of falling, self-righting felines as the subject to frame a brisk walk through the history of science as seen through the lens of the ordinary cat. It was fascinating to see how the simplest seeming action of an animal behaving in the natural world would spark off a debate that has raged for more than a hundred years, involving photography, film, physics, physiology, physics, robotics- you name it, somehow, some when the search for the cat righting mechanism has touched on a plethora of scientific disciplines. How do cats fall from great heights and land right side (paws down) up? Spoiler: there is no agreed upon answer.

Still, if you are a history of science buff this might be the book for you. I enjoy the gentle humorous barbs sprinkled into the text but confess I found some of the science both outside my education which made it difficult to grasp all the concepts and for me, I found it slowed the momentum of the narrative; some chapters were more nimble than others. If you have a solid scientific background this will likely delight you. I enjoyed the history and as a librarian approved of the well-cited text and extensive notes and bibliography. I’m sad to say that while well-written, it’s not quite glib enough to fall into popular science writing and thus appeal to a broader audience, which seems a shame. Perhaps it’s for the best - our feline friends need to maintain their mystic after all!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Yale University Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book!

You probably remember that derogatory phrase from college “rocks for jocks” (in my case it was something silly like “astronomy for poets”… taught, inexplicably, during daytime hours). Well, meet Math for Cat Lovers! Except, instead of dumbing things down or padding logic with fluff (couldn’t resist), Gregory J. Gbur’s Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics provides interesting history and background to the question of why cats land on their feet… and also investigates some of the flawed theories behind this phenomenon. Those interested in how scientific reputation and theory are formed with enjoy this book for the educational aspects; those who live alongside four-footed air-flipping felines will enjoy it for the images of cats it conjures. My favorite part actually occurs at the very beginning of the book, when Gbur conjures the publication of Jaws. He reminds readers that popular writing and film can have unintended consequences on animal populations (adoption rates skyrocketing for a pooch featured in a romantic comedy, for example). He doesn’t want his book to be complicit in these trends and encourages the scientific minded and cat lover alike not to drop cats!

[Bill T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

By the end of the first chapter, we have learned that Maxwell unified of the theories of electricity and magnetism, that his wife was named Katherine, and that he owned a dog; that Antoine Parent taught rhetoric in Chartres and then went to law school; that Descartes published an ontologic proof of human existence; that Joseph-Micephore Niepce was an infantryman; that Edward Muybridge was injured in a stagecoach accident; etc., etc. In other words, he fell into the trap of trying to make scientists "relatable" by giving us short biographies of them, rather than concentrating on, say, falling felines and fundamental physics.

That said, I do appreciate the theory that it was because of Mohamed that cats can land on their feet. Contrary to many other old theories, this one has the advantage of being consistent with the known laws of physics. I also appreciated the picture he provided of his own cat. That said, even trying to flip through the book for the relevant bits couldn't redeem it for me.

[Jessica Eskew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not just the history of the scientific investigation into why cats always land on their feet. It touches on a huge variety of topics, from the history of photography to quantum physics and shrodingers cat, as well as the history of weightlessness experiments and even cat authors. Occasionally the book feels a bit distracted, and it could have been about half the length to effectively address the topic, but all of the extra information will still be interesting to anyone who enjoys reading about the history of science and scientific discoveries. And especially to anyone who loves cats AND science.

[Luca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le trappole per gattari/e sono molto diffuse nelle librerie. Foto di copertina, titoli accattivanti, calendari ammiccanti.
Questa è interessante, mischia fisica e storia, con qualche aneddoto particolare.
Libro certamente divulgativo ma abbastanza impegnativo, alcuni capitoli sono lontani dalla mia preparazione perchè possa apprezzarli in pieno. Il risultato è un inevitabile calo di attenzione.
Se avete intenzione di regalarlo, fate attenzione e valutate bene, potrebbe risultare noioso ed eccessivamente scolastico in qualcuna delle sue parti.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5, but highly enjoyable. Sometimes a bit dry, but the writing is excellent and this is well researched. Gbur also does a wonderful job of acknowledging the parts animals have played in scientific research and addresses it immediately, which I appreciated. Many animals have been so mistreated in the name of science and this book does a great job honoring the sacrifices of these animals.

[Carolyn Haviland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Gbur speak at a conference a year ago and ever since, this book has been on my list.

Seeing the development of physics (and many other subject areas) from the beginning through the contributions of cats was a great experience.

As a physicist I am biased, however this is a great book for anyone interested in physics to be introduced to some of the most fundamental concepts.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a non-STEM person, I hesitated to buy this book - I'm glad I did, though!

Entertaining story that mixes history, technology and philosophy, and how all are touched by the mysteries of falling cats.

Also, (maybe I'm odd) but the book, the physical object, was very well made, with pages that felt good to the touch.

[Melissa]

DNF (for now) at 66 pages (up to chapter 5). I borrowed from the library and just don't have the drive to finish it these days, so I'm going to return it and perhaps pick it up again.

it's an interesting book, perhaps a bit more scholarly than I expected. I just don't have the brainpower for it these days.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to a digital audio edition of Falling Felines.

I never knew that people had put so much efferent into figuring out how cats fall. There was a lot of information in the book. I guess it was kind of interesting. Other than that I don't know what I want to say about Falling Felines. If I think of anything I will update my review.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fascinating and engrossing read that kept me hooked till the last page.
I liked the style of writing and how the book is organised.
I learnt a lot and I strongly recommend this book.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Cindy Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two of my favorite topics in one well written book. The combination of topics is unusual and perfect. There are little unexpected things, such as a poem with more formal information about both subjects.
Get this book if you love cats and physics, you will be glad you did.

[Gabrielle Birchak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Such a fun and easy read that covers science history, mechanics, and cats! If you follow Gbur on Twitter, you know he has a personality, which definitely shows through this entertaining book. You gotta read it!