scott wrote:
>> Power is nothing without control, 'tis true. But most cars (and 
>> animals) don't really have much of a problem with traction.
> 
> Have you seen cats on hardwood floors? (they slip a lot)

Or lino.

But then, domestic cats didn't evolve for that environment. There *are* 
in fact animals which regularly hunt on sheets of ice, and they have 
special adaptations to increase traction. (That said, none of them is 
anywhere near as fast as a cheetah. But you might argue that's due to 
lack of available fuel...)

> Or someone flooring it in a car from a standstill? (the wheels spin a lot)
> 
> I suspect the cheetah is so fast at accelerating because its claws can 
> dig into the ground to get traction.

And not because, oh, I don't know, it's 100x smaller mass has 
significantly lower inertia to overcome in the first place?

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