Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics

How do cats land on their feet? A “lively, entertaining” look at how the question stumped brilliant minds for centuries—and what was learned along the way (Ars Technica).

The question of how falling cats land on their feet has long intrigued humans. In this playful and eye-opening history, physicist and cat parent Gregory Gbur explores how attempts to understand the cat-righting reflex have provided crucial insights into puzzles in mathematics, geophysics, neuroscience, and human space exploration.

The result is an engaging tumble through physics, physiology, photography, and robotics to uncover, through scientific debate, the secret of the acrobatic performance known as cat-turning, the cat flip, and the cat twist. You’ll learn the solution—but also discover that the finer details still inspire heated arguments. As with other cat behavior, the more we investigate, the more surprises we discover.

“[An] extremely well-written popular science book.” —James Kakalios, author of The Physics of Superheroes

“Engrossing.” —Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime