Biomimicry News And Research - February 2011 Archives
The Mimosa plant, which folds its leaves when they're touched, is inspiring a new class of adaptive structures designed to twist, bend, stiffen and even heal themselves. University of Michigan researchers are leading their development.
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Northwestern University's Chang Liu is using insights from nature as inspiration for both touch and flow sensors -- areas that currently lack good sensors for recording and communicating the senses.
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 | Alan Newell of the University of Arizona will give the talk, "The Universal Nature of Fibonacci Patterns," on Friday, Feb. 18 at the 2011 AAAS annual meeting at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. as part of the symposium, "The Growth of Form in Mathematics, Physics and Biology." The symposium begins at 8 a.m. EST and Newell's presentation is scheduled for 9 a.m. ...> Full Article |
 | Nematodes, microscopic worms, are making engineers look twice at their ability to exhibit the "Cheerios effect" when they move in a collective motion. ...> Full Article |
Prof. Amir Ayali of Tel Aviv University says that the study of cockroaches, locusts, and caterpillars is inspiring new frontiers in advanced robotics. His own research delves deep into the neurological functioning of the cockroach, giving engineers the information they need to design more compact, versatile and efficient robots -- for both earthbound missions and those in outer space.
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Horacio Espinosa and colleagues report the identification of specific characteristics of the material microstructure of nacre, the iridescent material lining many mollusk shells, that enable its outstanding performance. By performing detailed fracture experiments within an atomic force microscope, the group was able to directly visualize and quantify the way the tablets slid relative to each other as the material is deformed.
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 | University of Arizona aerospace and mechanical engineers are studying bird and bee flight to develop unmanned vehicles that stay aloft longer and cope with sudden and severe changes in airflow. ...> Full Article |
 | Soap bubbles and films have always fascinated children and adults, but they can also serve to solve complex mathematical calculations. This is shown by a study carried out by two professors at the University of Málaga, who have succeeded in solving classic problems using just such an innovative procedure. ...> Full Article |
 | Scientists can now manufacture a synthetic version of the self-healing sticky substance that mussels use to anchor themselves to rocks in pounding ocean surf and surging tidal basins. A patent is pending on the substance, whose potential applications include use as an adhesive or coating for underwater machinery or in biomedical settings as a surgical adhesive or bonding agent for implants. ...> Full Article |
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Cloud computing user privacy in serious need of reform, scholars say
US forest management policy must evolve to meet bioenergy targets
Helmet crash tests: Don't hit the road without one
Building more sustainable aircraft
Never forget a face? Researchers find women have better memory recall than men
New quantum dot technique combines best of optical and electron microscopy
Magpies take decisions faster when humans look at them
Sibling aggression, often dismissed, linked to poor mental health
A robot that runs like a cat
Key protein is linked to circadian clocks, helps regulate metabolism
Whispering light hears liquids talk
Spanish researchers sequence the genome of global deep ocean
Research paints new picture of 'dinobird' feathers
A 20-minute bout of yoga stimulates brain function immediately after
A new approach for managing investment funds
Nanoparticle opens the door to clean-energy alternatives
Astronomers gear up to discover Earth-like planets
Scientists create novel silicon electrodes that improve lithium-ion batteries
Researchers discover 2-step mechanism of inner ear tip link regrowth
New archaeogenetic research refutes earlier findings
Research shows copper destroys norovirus
Borneo stalagmites provide new view of abrupt climate events over 100,000 years
Doctors should screen for frailty to prevent deaths
Peer pressure tests grade schoolers -- not just adolescents
New mathematical model links space-time theories
Do palm trees hold the key to immortality?
New strategy for fingerprint visualization developed at Hebrew University
Moth-inspired nanostructures take the color out of thin films
Robotic insects make first controlled flight
Seahorse's armor gives engineers insight into robotics designs
Insect-inspired camera captures wide field of view with no distortion, according to CU-Boulder study
Bed of needles
Not slippery when wet: Geckos adhere to surfaces submerged underwater
Cry me a river of possibility: Scientists design new adaptive material inspired by tears
Robot ants successfully mimic real colony behavior
Researchers unveil large robotic jellyfish that one day could patrol oceans