Playing with Power: Interdisciplinary Insights from the Fastest Creatures - Livestream

The fastest, repeated-use movements on the planet are produced by small organisms that have harnessed energetic control of elastic materials to propel their movement. Whether the bullet-like impacts of mantis shrimp hammers or the bizarre leaps of legless larvae, these systems exemplify how biological systems explore the limits of physics and present capabilities not yet achieved by engineering. We will explore the biological realm of the ultrafast, tradeoffs of moving at the outer limits of physics, and interdisciplinary translation of this extraordinary world where organisms play exquisitely with mechanical power.

Speaker: Sheila Patek, Duke University

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