
On the rheology of cats (2014) [pdf] - rbanffy
https://www.drgoulu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rheology-of-cats.pdf
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cynwoody
It seems the article's author won the 2017 Ig Nobel Prize in Physics for
'using fluid dynamics to probe the question "Can a Cat Be Both a Solid and a
Liquid?"' The prize announcement[0] cites the current article.

Also relevant, down-thread, plink mentions the Bonsai Kitten[1] hoax from
nearly 18 years ago now.

[0][https://www.improbable.com/ig/winners/#ig2017](https://www.improbable.com/ig/winners/#ig2017)

[1][https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai_Kitten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai_Kitten)

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teh_klev
I'm pretty sure Bonsai kitten was a thing long before 2000. I remember seeing
it as early as 1996, perhaps even 1995. It may not have had a domain name at
that time, but it was certainly doing the rounds in the mid 90's.

~~~
teh_klev
Apropos my last comment, it was also around the time of "Fun With Grapes"
which originally lived here:

[http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/~pmichaud/grape](http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/~pmichaud/grape)

but now preserved by the author:

[http://www.pmichaud.com/grape/](http://www.pmichaud.com/grape/)

I think this was one of the first things I visited on the web with my Windows
3.1 PC running Trumpet Winsock circa late '94 :)

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tzs
rheology: The branch of physics that deals with the deformation and flow of
matter, especially the non-Newtonian flow of liquids and the plastic flow of
solids

Source:
[https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/rheology](https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/rheology)

~~~
bananatron
Thanks!

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cbkeller
> In the absence of reliable extensional rheology data, we can only point to
> the fact that when cats are deformed along their principal axis, they tend
> to relax more easily, suggesting that the extensional time is smaller than
> the shear time. Transient strain-hardening can nonetheless occur. Second,
> because, flows of cats are usually free surface flows, the surface tension
> between the cat and its surrounding medium can be important

~~~
thrill
Also, in my observations, addition of energy to the extended felis silvestris
catus system, such as by rubbing, especially against the natural orientation
of the external excessively cleaned heat retention system, one can experience
an effect opposite of flash freezing, where the "tolerance" parameter of the
feline goes supercritical far faster than the human eye - or hand - can
observe. This experiment is eminently repeatable, subject to experimenter's
total blood supply, though the aforementioned tolerance factor usually takes
some time to reach an otherwise non-objectively measured reset state.

~~~
BLKNSLVR
An oft-repeated, and understandable, assumption in such research is that it's
a 'tolerance' factor as opposed to some other, less anthropomorphically
satisfying, and potentially unpalatable, variable. There is a dearth of
research on the motivations behind the feline inclination towards literally
biting the hand that feeds.

The violent and aggressive feline reproductive spectacle provides the
uncomfortable theory that this 'tolerance' factor may actually be 'arousal'.
Pitching this research topic has not yet yielded any funding; or at least any
funding that didn't come with conditions with which the researchers felt they
could comply.

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sporkologist
I had long wondered about the feline anisotropy tensor, this makes it more
formal.

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jaggederest
Case study support for this hypothesis available here:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/catsareliquid/](https://www.reddit.com/r/catsareliquid/)

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plink
Hah! reminiscent of the defunct bonzai kitten website!

