The interesting thing to me is not the asymmetry, but that the asymmetry persists even with an ideal fluid. (The asymmetry actually is greater the more ideal the fluid is.)
Related, that a putt-putt boat would work even in an ideal fluid.
Not related directly to the article, but I wanted to quickly and highly recommend the book "Surely you're Joking, Mr. Feynman" which they referenced. A fantastic and very fun read.
The first time I read that, I was charmed and amused. The next time I read it, after progressing farther in my own studies, I found Feynman's voice and self-described persona unbelieveably arrogant.
Certainly he has earned the right to that arrogance, but it makes the book and its fascinating stories much harder for me to enjoy. I now prefer to stick with his scientific, rather than personal, books, but, despite my best attempts to ignore it, even my enjoyment of those scientific works is diminished by what I perceive of his personality, and I wish now that I hadn't gone back and re-read his biographic works.
Related, that a putt-putt boat would work even in an ideal fluid.