A team at Yamaguchi University in Japan has identified a mechanical property of the feline spine that helps explain how cats can rotate midair to land on their feet. Their peer-reviewed study, ...

Researchers used high-speed cameras and motion tracking to show the air-righting reflex relies on spine flexion, front and rear body rotation, and tail adjustments that conserve zero angular momentum ...

Cats are renowned for always landing on their feet. While that’s not entirely true, “cat physics” sounds like an oxymoron. Scientific laws don’t appear to apply to animals that can squeeze into ...

It seems like magic—but it’s pure biomechanics: A cat falls, spins quickly in the air, and lands safely on its paws. To us, it looks like a small miracle. For cats, it’s a vital survival reflex. This ...