Miata Mailing List: December 1999, Message #45

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I seem to remember something I read a long time ago (back when vacuum tubes
ran all the real computers) that a fly can only stay in the air for 2.5
minutes without a rest.  If it tries to fly longer than that it dies.  Can't
remember how long the rest had to be though....
Was this from 'The Birdman of Alcatraz' ??
Thought I'd throw this into the equation.

Mark &Buddy 91 White A
In Los Angeles
----- Original Message -----
From: Robb Kemper <Robb.Kemper@Airgas.com>

> Two people are walking toward each other.  Each person is walking at the
> speed of 2.5 MPH.  When they are exactly 5 miles apart, a fly takes of
from
> the nose of one and flies directly to the nose of the other.  At the
> instant
> the fly touches the nose of the second, it reverses course and flies back
> to
> the first.  Flies have virtually no inertia, so assume there is no speed
> lost in rebound.  If the fly is flying at 12.5 MPH, how far does it travel
> before the two people meet.
>
> Assuming that the two peoples noses are at the same hight the fly will be
> squashed between there noses after it flies 12.5 miles.  Since the people
> will meet in exactly 1 hour and the fly will be flying for one hour.
>
> Robb & Dino
>