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>The fly is very fast at detecting and responding to motion in its vicinity, but that property does not make the author look foolish, just slow.

Actually the author is using the wrong technique if he is trying to swat the fly.

Flies use their compound eyes and a collection of sensitive hairs on their bodies to detect threats and avoid being swatted. You can use this to your advantage.

When the fly lands on something you should approach slowly and steadily from the same direction with your palms open and ready to clap together. Move slowly as your hands get close to the fly so as to cause a minimal air disturbance. By moving slowly, the fly finds it difficult to parse the fact that your hands are getting closer and once you are within a foot or so (.3m) clap your hands together as fast as possible.

Your hands will be close enough that even with the fly's excellent acceleration and detection skills it will be difficult for the fly to escape being crushed. Make sure your fingers are cupped so that the fly is spit out between them as the air escapes during the clap.

It may help to consider that many times a fly will launch itself slightly backwards when it takes flight before zipping forward rapidly. Plan your clap so that the fly will be trapped even if they shift backwards slightly.

Wash your hands when you're done.

This method is successful for me more than 95% of the time when I allow the fly to land. If the fly is nervously zipping around just be patient. It will pause and then you can clap.

I always use a small tupperware container to catch flies on a flat surface, seal it of with a piece of cardboard and release it outside.

You also avoid the mess left behind when clapping them. And in some way it also feels better.

It's actually a fun hobby of mine and after a while you can catch them nearly always. I also love watching my children trying to copy my approach. Highly recommended!

I use a much simpler technique which seems to work for me a similar amount of time. When you clap your hands together, move them up vertically as well as toward each other. Whatever other games they play, the fly will always move upward first.

Yeah this is the real one. If a fly is flying, aim a few inches above it with an overarm throw kinda move, you can grab them out of the air with enough practise. Decent party trick.

> but a fly can make me look foolish.

You should keep trying buddy. Try approaching your hand to a fly very slowly and when the distance will be ~20cm slap it with one powerful movement. Remember that a fly survives ~70% of slaps because it manages to hide between your fingers or something - you need to kill it after slap with squeezing. Keep trying and you will be able to kill flies with your hand with 50% efficiency in average. There are even easier way of killing a fly btw, for example do slowly approaching it with a thin pin which is too hard for a fly to see it coming.

True, but many people oppose eating even very simple animals (think clams) for ethical reasons, but have no qualms with plants. I don’t think it’s totally absurd to use the authors point to argue that maybe plants reach the level of agency of some simple animals.

I don't disagree with that in any way. My point was that "super-fast-reacting thing makes obviously intelligent slower thing look foolish" is both an incorrect and odd conclusion to close TFA with.

If you repeatedly swat at a fly that's obviously outclassing you in speed, you will look like a fool. Try enough times without success, and it isn't just a look. Let it land and hit it with a newspaper, flyswatter, rubber band, etc, and you'll have demonstrated your superior reasoning ability.

It's hilarious that so many people have these crazy timing techniques and use their hands or a swatter

Use a spray bottle to get its wings wet, I usually use Windex or a multi-surface cleaner, then get a paper towel and kill it as slow or as fast as you want