The Extraordinary Flight of Dandelion Seeds

Tiny as they are, the bristly parachutes of a dandelion seed can help it fly tens of kilometers. The secret to this superpower is a new type of vortex ring, one researchers had never before observed in nature. With this video, FYFD kicks off an entire week of plant-focused physics. Check out the rest at: Featuring research from Cummins et al., “A separated vortex ring underlies the flight of the dandelion,“ Written, hosted, produced, edited, and animated by Nicole Sharp, PhD #FYFD #dandelions #vortexring #plantphysics ------- Curious about that underwater shot at the end? Check out the full video at: ------- Follow FYFD: Website: Twitter: Instagram: Patreon: Follow Nicole: Website: Twitter: ------- Thanks to my Patreon patrons and FYFD supporters who help make FYFD and FYFD video possible! Patreon: FYFD Supporters: ------- Research footage: Cathal Cummins Madeleine Seale Alice Macente Daniele Certini Enrico Mastropaolo Ignazio Maria Viola Naomi Nakayama Oleksandr Zhdanov Additional footage: US Navy NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Nicole Sharp Andrew Dickerson A.J. Fillo Oregon Coast Aquarium Oregon State University Sound effects from