Head rush! Why bats and sloths don't get dizzy upside down


Why is it that an old bat like me can barely get out of her chair without a head rush while young bats - actual bats - can hang upside down all day long and not have the courtesy to get a little dizzy?

That's not the exact question a NatGeo editor asked this week (they're all too nice to call anyone an old bat) but it's the nub of it: how do animals literally hang out and not get a serious head rush after awhile? Here's the skinny: Bats and Sloths Don't Get Dizzy Hanging Upside Down - Here's Why.

In the interest of science I tried doing a head stand in the pool for this piece. Downside: holding your breath makes you even dizzier when you're upside down. Upside: I'm not too old to do a handstand in the pool. Win. Win.

Lovely antique bat anatomy drawings from Neurological Corelates

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