Spot of Understanding

Flies possess an internal map to warn them of approaching danger - Image from the Los Angeles Times

For all of us who have torn our hair apart in pursuit of a fly and wondered why its so damn difficult to catch hold of it, here are some answers. The brains of a fly are hardwired to escape us swatters. The insects cleverly flee in the opposite direction as soon as they see the swat team descending. According to researchers these moves are made with lightning speed - within 200 milliseconds. Michael Dickinson's team in the California Institute of Technology studied flies with the help of high-speed digital imaging equipment and a fancy fly swatter. His advice? Best not to swat a fly from the starting position, aim for the escape route.

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