FlipFact of the Day: The insect kingdom is full of all kinds of wonderful animals, and the grasshopper is certainly no exception. A typical grasshopper can jump ten times its length vertically, and about twenty times its length horizontally.
Much like a catapult, grasshoppers use their leg muscles to propel themselves into the air. They do this to escape a predator, to begin flying, or simply to get from one place to another. They extend their back legs and push against the surface they are standing on; the resulting force enables them to perform spectacular jumps.
A human being with the same jumping power could leap over a five-storey building. That’s about the length of nearly three basketball courts!
Today’s Science History Milestone: On August 2, 1939, physicist Leó Szilárd sent a letter (signed by Albert Einstein) to President Franklin D. Roosevelt suggesting that the United States should start a nuclear weapons program, based on intel that Germany may be developing its own. This eventually resulted in the creation of the Manhattan Project.
Still remember your 5th-grade science classes? Test your knowledge and see if you still remember these facts and fundamental concepts in human anatomy, biology, botany, and other branches of science. Click here to try the “Are You Smarter Than A Pinoy Fifth-Grader” Challenge.
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Cover: EMcGlynn/Flickr
References
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/24942031?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
