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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.

In the video, the narrator asks, "What makes the world of a sperm so fundamentally different from that of a sperm whale?" After a whale flaps its tail, it can coast ahead for a long distance. How far would a sperm travel if it stopped moving its tail?

About TED-Ed Animations

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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