James Round for Quanta Magazine
There is an animal that often finds itself in a somewhat similar position to the swimmer and has perfected an effective strategy for frustrating its pursuers: the common gray squirrel. A squirrel pursued by a dog always positions itself at a point diametrically opposite to its pursuer while simultaneously climbing higher into the tree, soon making good its escape. The squirrel relies on its much faster angular speed as it navigates a smaller circumference than the pursuing dog, which has to make a much larger circle far from the tree. This strategy is so effective that an astronaut uses it to evade an enemy space cruiser in Arthur C. Clarke’s Hide and Seek.
