• rumba@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    So, given that the line is the tides? currents? If they adjusted their swimming angle to make the GPS line straight, I wonder if it would affect their time or energy expended. I think it wouldn’t but whatcha think?

    • rumba@lemmy.zip
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      19 hours ago

      Apparently trying to swim the straight line would mean you have to swim against the added friction of the water.

      Snake line has far less friction. The energy being used to move you north and south is simply impartedto you by the environment, and while it doesn’t actually make you go any faster from your source to your target trying to fight it would be a significant amount of work.