We all know a great deal about fluid dynamics from our everyday
life--breathing air, drinking water, taking a shower, speaking
and hearing all involve some aspect of a fluid flow. And part
of our common knowledge about life on earth is the story of the
evolution of life forms from a fluid water environment to a
land environment still submerged in the atmosphere. What is
less familiar to us is that this has meant that the vast
majority of life forms on earth have to be good fluid
mechanicians as they compete for food, mating and locomotion.
For each animal, the circulatory system has to deliver
nutrients and oxygen to every living cell, but different
organisms have adopted often widely divergent approaches to
accomplish this. The study of fluid dynamics can help us to
appreciate the complexity of the natural world around us, and
the ways in which fluids and fluid flows materially impinge
upon our lives. A prior background in fluid mechanics is not
required.