{"id":1358,"date":"2014-12-15T12:58:25","date_gmt":"2014-12-14T23:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.waikato.ac.nz\/bioblog\/2014\/12\/cows_and_physics_and_urban_myths\/"},"modified":"2014-12-15T12:58:25","modified_gmt":"2014-12-14T23:58:25","slug":"cows-and-physics-and-urban-myths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.waikato.ac.nz\/bioblog\/2014\/12\/cows-and-physics-and-urban-myths\/","title":{"rendered":"cows and physics and urban myths"},"content":{"rendered":"
In which we encounter – cow-tipping!<\/p>\n
This is apparently the focus of both myth & mirth in the US: the idea that cows, asleep on their feet, are regularly tipped over by tipsy youths. Now, apart from the inconvenient little fact that cows tend to sleep lying down & thus are supremely untippable at that point in their daily rhythm, our bovine friends are large and solid and (with a leg at each corner) well-balanced. Nor do I imagine that Daisy would take kindly to a shoulder charge from an inebriated young man.<\/p>\n
And indeed, at ModernFarmer,<\/em> Jake Swearingen dissects this myth <\/a>& imparts a little physics with along with the humour & the facts. It turns out that back in 2005 a couple of researchers<\/a> ran the numbers & decided it would be impossible for a single person to overturn poor Daisy<\/a>, but that two or more tippers could – theoretically – knock her off her feet. Provided that she did not see them coming, or negate their efforts by shifting her weight, that is.<\/p>\n