How is it possible for the bumble bee to fly?

According to the science of aerodynamics, the size, shape, weight and wing size of the bumble bee make it impossible for it to fly. The ostrich and emu have the exact same problems and can't fly yet, as we all know, the bumble bee does fly.Can anyone explain this?How is it possible for the bumble bee to fly?
Wow, another citation of urban legend expressing hostility to science, how rare.How is it possible for the bumble bee to fly?
determination,lol. hmm good question. I have heard that too. I will see what I can come up with. will be back later with the results one way or the other.





Well looky looky what I found http://www.wolfson.ox.ac.uk/~ben/zetie1.鈥?/a>





I have checked out other links. they all basically say the same thing, that someone misscalculated, not taking in ALL factors and told this faulty story to the public. this myth has since spead like wild fire. which goes without saying since bumble bees do indeed fly.





A well-known myth says that scientists once proved that bumblebees should not be able to fly. The myth started from an over-simplified calculation on a napkin at a dinner party. But even detailed models of the flight of the bumblebee are limited because they are based largely on the motion of tethered bumblebees, which behave differently. Now Lijang Zeng of Tsinghua University in China and colleagues have devised a laser system that accurately measures the key parameter in the flight of any insect - its 'body vector' (Lijang Zeng et al 2001 Meas. Sci. Technol. 12 1886).......... http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/5/10鈥?/a>





this link briefly describes the wings in action that helps it to fly


http://www.howstuffworks.com/news-item22鈥?/a>
This story is a good example of the disconnect between science and popular culture. Back in the 30s, a lab assistant with an engineering background did some quickie calculations and determined that bees could not fly. This found its way into a book, Le Vol Des Insects (Hermann and Cle, Paris, 1934) by August Magnan.





The problem was that the dynamics of insect flight are very different from those of fixed wing aircraft. There was never any credible truth here and the error has been known for decades but the press has made this story immortal. The wrong model was applied to bumblebees and the rest is history.





http://www.math.niu.edu/~rusin/known-mat鈥?/a>


http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/2004鈥?/a>





The ostrich and emu and other flightless birds have entirely different problems (concerning flight). An ostrich may weigh up to 300 pounds and, with relatively small wings, there's just no way this bird can get off the ground. Many have erroneously described flightless birds as ';failures of natural selection.'; However nothing could be further from the truth. The problem stems from the thought that evolution makes organisms better and better - and losing flight for a bird would be a step backward. However evolution merely selects organisms best adapted for their environment. As the environment changes, so do the organisms - there is no direction or comparative value other than survival. An ostrich runs faster than a horse and is perfectly adapted to its surroundings - the plains of Africa - where it often survives in symbiotic herds with zebra. The subject is much to deep to get into here but there has been a great deal of work done and the beauty of it makes for very interesting reading.
Flap real fast