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Close up of ant mandible
Science Snapshot: The Need for Speed
Understanding the biomechanics of the trap-jaw ant could help humans build better, faster robots.
Science Snapshot: The Need for Speed
Science Snapshot: The Need for Speed

Understanding the biomechanics of the trap-jaw ant could help humans build better, faster robots.

Understanding the biomechanics of the trap-jaw ant could help humans build better, faster robots.

biomechanics

Reconstruction of an indeterminate theropod running on lacustrine sediments during low water timespan
Car-Sized, Meat-Eating Dinosaur Could Run Faster Than Usain Bolt
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Dec 10, 2021 | 3 min read
A new analysis of fossil footprints suggests that the 2-meter-tall, 4- to 5-meter-long carnivores that left them could run nearly 45 kilometers per hour, bolstering the evidence that at least some dinosaurs were speedy, agile hunters.
Immunofluorescence image of human tenocytes (cell nuclei in blue, actin in red) with PIEZO1 protein labeled in green (Scale bar: 20 ?m)
Mechanosensory Protein Helps Tendons Stiffen After Exercise
Catherine Offord | Sep 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Researchers identify a role for PIEZO1 in tendon adaptation, and show that people with certain versions of the Piezo1 gene tend to be better jumpers.
Slingshot Spiders Pull More Gs than Cheetahs Do
Ashley Yeager | Nov 1, 2020 | 4 min read
Using their silk threads as a catapult, members of a family of orb-weaving arachnids rocket themselves and their webs through the air to capture prey.
Image of the Day: Bear Sinuses
Amy Schleunes | Apr 10, 2020 | 2 min read
A new study finds that the extinct European cave bear’s large sinuses represent a tradeoff between hibernation length and the flexibility of their diets.
Image of the Day: Foot Biomechanics
Amy Schleunes | Mar 2, 2020 | 1 min read
A new study highlights the importance of the transverse arch in regulating the stiffness of the human foot.
Image of the Day: Upside-Down Landings
Emily Makowski | Oct 29, 2019 | 1 min read
Blue bottle flies use many different movements and a specific behavior sequence in order to stick a ceiling landing.
dinosaur wings flapping movement robot robotics model
Image of the Day: Passive Flapping
Chia-Yi Hou | May 3, 2019 | 1 min read
A robot model of a winged but flightless dinosaur suggests the dinosaur may have flapped its wings while moving on the ground.
Image of the Day: Clubbing
Kerry Grens | Oct 19, 2018 | 1 min read
Mantis shrimps’ remarkably swift kicks come from springs built into their dactyl clubs.
Image of the Day: Swish Swish
Kerry Grens | Oct 16, 2018 | 1 min read
Animals’ tails swat away insects using both wind and whack.
Image of the Day: Cracked Skin
Jef Akst | Oct 9, 2018 | 1 min read
Micrometer-scale fractures in elephant skin results from the way the epidermis grows.
Jens Christian Skou, Discoverer of the Sodium-Potassium Pump, Dies
Kerry Grens | May 29, 2018 | 2 min read
The Nobel laureate was the first to identify an enzyme moving material across the cell membrane.
Image of the Day: Puzzle Plants
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Mar 19, 2018 | 1 min read
The jigsaw-shape cells found in the epidermis of many plants may serve to reduce mechanical stress on cell walls.
Next-Generation Exoskeletons Help Patients Move
Karen Weintraub | Feb 1, 2018 | 10+ min read
A robot’s gentle nudge could add just the right amount of force to improve walking for patients with mobility-impairing ailments such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and stroke.
A Prosthetic Advantage?
Diana Kwon | Sep 1, 2017 | 4 min read
Scientists are analyzing how factors such as the length and stiffness of artificial limbs affect performance in athletes with amputations.
Man Meets Machine
The Scientist | Aug 31, 2017 | 1 min read
Alena Grabowski, a University of Colorado Boulder researcher, discusses her motivations for studying the interface between biology and mechanics in prosthetic devices.
Robotic Orthotics Aid Gait in Kids with Cerebral Palsy
Aggie Mika | Aug 24, 2017 | 2 min read
The wearable technology, akin to motorized leg braces, help children with physical disabilities extend their knees as they walk. 
Cells Follow Stiffness Gradients by Playing Tug-of-War
Ben Andrew Henry | Dec 1, 2016 | 2 min read
Cells with the best traction on a substrate pull their neighbors toward firmer ground.
Physical Force Upregulates Gene Expression
Alison F. Takemura | Aug 24, 2016 | 2 min read
Applying a mechanical force that pulls on a cell stretches chromatin, facilitating transcription, scientists show.
Chameleons Catch Prey with Sticky Spit
Alison F. Takemura | Jun 22, 2016 | 1 min read
The lizard’s saliva is thick enough to drag a cricket to its alimentary demise, scientists show.
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