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The physics of human sperm vs. the physics of the sperm whale

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TEDEd Animation

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Traveling is extremely arduous for microscopic sperm -- think of a human trying to swim in a pool made of...other humans. We can compare the journey of a sperm to that of a sperm whale by calculating the Reynolds number, a prediction of how fluid will behave, often fluctuating due to size of the swimmer. Aatish Bhatia explores the great (albeit tiny) sperm’s journey.

"When you look really, really closely at our bodies and the world around us, you can see all sorts of tiny creatures finding clever ways to get around in a sticky situation." List three adaptations used by microbes to get around in the low Reynolds number world.

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Aatish Bhatia
  • Animator Brad Purnell
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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