Smarter every day: Slo-mo flipping cats -- Why do cats land on their feet?

[1monster]

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. The answer to "Why" is because it is safer than landing on their back.

The question the video actually asks is "How", at the 17 sec mark when it gets around to it. The video (and presenter) is a lot smarter than the video title.

[1monster]

3. Now that you've shown your superiority...

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. (on edit) OK, I get it now.

I didn't realize you wrote the thread title. I thought it was the title of the video and you had simply transcribed it. I'm sorry I disturbed you. I did not mean to post "against" you. However, the principle remains and possibly you might gain ...

I only wrote in support of stating things clearly and directly. Readers of the post who like to write might think about what is actually stated (or written) and what it actually means.

[1monster]

6. Since the English language is very flexible,

one can state things clearly and directly and effectively in many different ways.

I do not concede your point that you were more clear or direct than I was. You were simply more didactic in your approach.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. English is flexible, but it means what it means. And there is always Pope.

"Why" is a question about purpose.

"How" is a question about means and ways.

You can write "why" when you mean "how", if you like, but it is simply clearer to write "how" when you mean "how" and it will be understood by more readers.

Some readers will pass over a video entitled "Why cats land on their feet" because they will think the answer is rather obvious (which it is). More readers will view a video entitled "How cats land on their feet" because that is a more complex question with a much less obvious answer.

But sorry you got upset when I accidentally corrected you when I thought I was correcting the video.

"A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday". Alexander Pope (1688-1744) "Thoughts on Various Subjects", 1706.

[1monster]

10. "Why do cats fall on their feet?"

"Cats fall on their feet because they are able to manipulate their upper bodies .... blah, blah, blah."

Look up didactic at dictionary.com.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. That's how they are able to * choose * to fall on their feet, not * why * they choose to do so.

I know what didactic means. It means "about the science of teaching". There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you refuse to learn, then that is your choice.

"Why do cats fall on their feet? Cats fall on their feet because they are able to manipulate their upper bodies" may be acceptable English in some ways, but it still exhibits sloppy thinking, which is something writers are advised to avoid.

Why do cats fall on their feet? Cats fall on their feet because it is safer than falling on their backs.

How do cats fall on their feet? Cats are able to fall on their feet by manipulating their bodies.

P.S. As the video explains, it is not just their "upper" bodies.

[1monster]

17. didactic

di·dac·tic [dahy-dak-tik] Show IPA
adjective

1. intended for instruction; instructive: didactic poetry.
2. inclined to teach or lecture others too much: a boring, didactic speaker.
3. teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.
4. didactics, ( used with a singular verb ) the art or science of teaching.

Interesting that you choose the least common of the meanings.

But you've already proved to me that you are just trying to be provocative. Had you really any desire to give constructive criticism, you would never have been so offensive in your posts.

P.S. I am an English teacher.

Done with you.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. OMG, the OP is shocked that teaching is happening in their teaching thread. nt

[xocet]

27. Here is something that you might find interesting...

Why is the instrumental of what:

HWÝ, hwí; inst. of hwæt. WHY. I. in direct questions :-- Interrogativa synd áxigendlíce cur hwí, Ælfc. Gr. 38; Som. 40, 58. Hwí didest ðú ðæt quare hoc fecisti? Gen. 3, 13: Mt. Kmbl. 9, 11. Hwý sceal ic æfter his hyldo þeówian? Cd. 15; Th. 18, 33; Gen. 282. II. in dependent clauses :-- Se wísa Augustinus smeáde hwí se hálga cýðere cwæ-acute;de ... the wise Augustine inquired why the holy martyr said ..., Homl. Th. i. 48, 10. Eall ðæra Iudéiscra teóna árás þurh ðæt hwí Drihten Crist seðe æfter flæ-acute;sce sóðlíce is mannes sunu eác swilce wæ-acute;re gecweden Godes sunu all the quarrel of the Jews had its origin from this, why Christ, who according to the flesh is truly the son of man, should also be called the son of God, 16. Ðá áscade hé Æðelm hwý hit him ryht ne þuhte ðæt we him gereaht hæfden then he asked Æthelm why that did not seem right to him which we had arranged for him, Chart. Th. 171, 12. Ða oðre ða ðe ðæ-acute;r næ-acute;ron þurh gewrite atíwdon hwí hí ðæ-acute;r beón ne mihton the others who were not there shewed by letter why they could not be there, Chr. 1070; Erl. 206, 6. v. hwá.

http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/html/oe_bosworthtoller/b0578.html

How is an adverb:

HÚ; adv. How. I. in direct questions :-- Hú mæg man ingán on stranges hús quomodo potest quisquam intrare in domum fortis? Mt. Kmbl. 12, 29: 34. Hú ne synt gé sélran ðonne hig nonne vos magis plures estis illis? 6, 26: 25. Hú sculon wit nú libban how are we to live? Cd. 38; Th. 50, 7; Gen. 805. II. in exclamations [see also I] :-- Hú la! ne gewearþ unc tó ánum peninge how now! was not our agreement for a penny? Th. An. 74, 20. Hú gód is éce God quam bonus

http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/html/oe_bosworthtoller/b0564.html

This is also interesting:

hú-meta; adv. How, in what manner; quomodo :-- Húmeta eodest ðú in quomodo intrasti? Mt. Kmbl. 22, 12, Húmeta bitst ðú æt mé drincan quomodo bibere a me poscis? Jn. Skt. 4, 9. Húmeta bodaþ hé [Paul] Cristes geleáfan? Homl. Th. i. 388, 2. Nú is tó besceáwigenne húmeta se ælmihtiga God geþafaþ ðæt ... now it is to be considered how it is that the almighty God permits that ..., 486, 17. Ðú sæ-acute;dest ðæt ðú ne mihte witan húmeta hé his weólde oððe hú hé his weólde you said that you could not see in what manner or by what means he governed it [the world]; quibus gubernaculis mundus regatur, Bt. 35, 2; Fox 156, 25.

http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/html/oe_bosworthtoller/b0565.html

[Bernardo de La Paz]

28. Thank you. Hadn't heard of hu-meta construct, & Old English of how and why also interesting. nt

[xocet]

30. You're welcome. n/t

[mahannah]

2. Hard to believe cats enjoy this activity.

[valerief]

5. I go to work every weekday. I don't enjoy that either. nt

[mahannah]

9. You're a cat?

[Sanity Claws]

20. He looks like a dog to me

[1monster]

7. I don't know if they enjoy it or not, but I was surprised by the cat's willingness

to participate after the first time. If I tried that on any of my cats, I would be requiring a trip to the Emergency Room to stitch up the rips in my skin.

I'd never even think of attempting it a second time.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. Next up: Airborn cats from a hose.

[malthaussen]

12. Strap a piece of buttered toast to its back and run a wire...

... perpetual energy!

-- Mal

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Only if you put the buttered side on the outside

not against the fur.

[tclambert]

21. . . . and an anti-gravity device.

[lame54]

14. it's evolutions defense against asshole cat droppers

[meti57b]

16. LOL!!!!!!!!

[1monster]

19. ----

[Hissyspit]

26. +11

[tclambert]

22. Cat coughs up hairballs in "scientist's" bed in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

[TexasBushwhacker]

23. Cat leaves gift in scientist's shoes n/t

[Blue Owl]

24. A little something called graviteh

n/t

[ailsagirl]

25. I understand that cats don't always land on their feet n/t

[KansDem]

29. If there ever was a "WTF?" expression...

...it was on the face of Gigi.

The cat at 4'53" must have thought she was next...