> The flea can jump 350 times its body length. That is like a
> human jumping the length of a football field.

There is nothing mysterious with that. To jump a length l, you need an
energy of (1/2)mgl, where m is your body mass and g is the constant
of gravity (g = 9.81 m/s^2 = 32 ft/s^2). That is, the needed energy
per unit of body weight, (1/2)gl, is _independent_ from the size of the
animal.

Of course, these considerations are valid in empty space only, because
the resistance of the air is much stronger for small animals (for
which the ratio surface/volume is high), and of course fleas and
humans are physiologically different (the amount of energy they are
able to mobilize may be different), but if an insect were of the same
size than a human--which is impossible for many reasons--then it
would not have a supernatural strength, contrary to what is shown in
movies.


--Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>

P.S. Did anyone see "microcosmos" a couple of years ago? Really excellent!
http://www.wviff.org/spring98/microcosmos.htm