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Swimming As Easy In Syrup As In Water

Posted by timothy on from the chlorine-ratio-adjustment dept.

chthonicdaemon writes "Nature is running a story about scientists at the University of Minnesota who proved that swimming speed is not a large function of the viscosity of the liquid. To do this, they thickened the water in a pool with guar gum. Fun ensued. This is the type of thing that usually keeps to thought experiments. Interesting to see someone prove it."

8 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. What about no very low viscosity? by vasqzr · · Score: 4, Interesting


    How come I can't swim in air?

  2. Terminal Velocity by Arrepiadd · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If the viscosity of a fluid doesn't influence your speed through it how come you have a terminal velocity while falling in air but not in vacuum.

    And, as someone said, why can't we swim in air?

    1. Re:Terminal Velocity by Proud+like+a+god · · Score: 3, Interesting

      But when you're travelling through air you're not only countering drag but attempting to create enough lift to counter your weight. Purely forward swimming through air in a weightless environment wouldnt require some energy diverted to counter your weight, quite unlike flying today.

  3. Re:resistance by Holi · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think the increased force used to pull your self through the water is offset by the increased viscosity of the fluid.

    --
    Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
  4. Why would it? by charlie763 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's really the ratio of the force of friction of you body moving through the water compared to the force of friction of your arms moving in the opposite direction.

    Think about this: If you try to swim in space with its near zero friction, do you go anywhere? No, you don't because there is nothing to push against.

    One thing that might cause a more viscus liquid to slow a swimmer (ignoring fatigue)is the resistance of the liquid to moving behind a swimmer. This creates a vacuum and would be move force for the swimmer to fight.

    I'd like to see them try this experiment in molasses so we can really see if there is a difference!

    --
    Welcome to the land of the free...pay toll ahead...no photography...please open your bag...
  5. Underwater intercourse not such a hot idea by MachDelta · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Actually, you're not supposed to have sex underwater. Its fine for the guy, but keep in mind that a girl's plumbing wasn't really designed to be plumbing. Pushing too much water up inside her with too much force could cause damage to sensitive things like her fallopian tubes. And even if you go at it gently, there's the risk of literally flooding her. Get enough water up the fallopian tubes and it could pass through the infundibulum abdominal ostium - meaning she gets water in her abdominal cavity, which could very likely give her a nasty infection. Either way there's a risk of illness/injury, permanent damage (infertillity?), or possibly even death (your trick moves aren't so sexy when they cause internal bleeding).

    So by all means, get hot and steamy under the waves, but when you're gonna introduce her port to your hard drive, you should probably do it on the beach (or dock or poolside or whatever). Remember kiddies, interfacing safely isn't just about using a latex firewall!


    Oh yeah, and *insert joke about slashdotters and their sex liv... Actually, screw it, someone else can get the +5 funny. I'm gonna go whack off while dreaming about poolside sex instead. Ok, i'll probably just end up reinstalling drivers, but lets pretend like I went and... err... wait, lets not.

  6. Re:The other way 'round... by raygundan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I believe the Sandia Z-Machine is filled with some sort of cooling or dialectric (i can't remember exactly) fluid that is low-density enough for swimming to be impossible. If you fall in, you're supposed to hold your breath, walk to the side, and climb up the ladder.

    I'm having trouble finding the article that talked about the fluid, but you can at least have a look at a picture of it running (you don't want to swim in it while it's on, I imagine...)

    Picture

  7. absolutely no evidence to support this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Actually, you're not supposed to have sex underwater. Its fine for the guy, but keep in mind that a girl's plumbing wasn't really designed to be plumbing.

    This is a false rumor spread by that Canadian-grandmother-turned-sex-therapist who has the womens' network show (which is hilarious, incidentally. Trust me.) Ask YOUR doctor about any advice you see on the show before you put it to practice ("I saw it on TV, it must be true!"), okay?

    People have been having sex for centuries in the water- lakes, ponds, rivers, oceans, hot tubs, pools, jacuzis, showers, bathtubs- you name it, people have had sex there- and there's simply no evidence of all these injuries you claim(death? Infertility? Riight. I've even seen people claim women could get air embolisms!) A UK women's scuba newsletter asked women divers about their experiences, and surprise- nobody had an injuries.

    If anyone who is actually qualified to speak on this subject can present ANY case evidence of this happening in substantial numbers(linkage, please!), I'll shut up- but I think the parent poster is full of nonsense and these "dangers" are about as "dangerous" statistically as catching, and dying from, West Nile Disease- if at all.