Humans have been snapping fingers for thousands of years – records of finger clicking go back to ancient Greece, and it likely happened long before that. But how does finger snapping actually work? A team of US researchers have discovered it has a lot to do with the friction of finger pads. “For the past … Continue reading How do fingers snap?
Tag: biomechanics
Taste by touch is all in the suckers
An octopus can “taste by touch” thanks to the suction-cup-like suckers along each of its eight tentacles. But how does that work? There have been a number of studies into the biomechanics of the process, but now a team at Harvard University in the US has taken a look at the molecular level. In a … Continue reading Taste by touch is all in the suckers
Something in the way it moves
Studying a centipede sheds light on adaptive locomotion.
Robo exo-suits to improve exercise
Harvard-led project leverages variable biomechanics but tests fashion sense. Barry Keily reports.
Spider silk 10 times stronger than Kevlar
Protein discovery has implications for biomechanics and manufacturing. Barry Keily reports.
Space travel may prompt cartilage damage
Mouse sent into orbit returned with significant deterioration. Nick Carne reports.
For an elephant trunk, it’s all in the bone joints
The biomechanics of feeding offers clues for soft robotics. Samantha Page reports.
Penalty rates: the science of World Cup football
A standing-start kick at the goal looks simple, but in reality it’s anything but. Andrew Patterson reports.
For straight line motion, snakes first relax
US research confirms a 70-year-old idea about how snakes can hunt in narrow burrows. Tanya Loos reports.
Ant jaws snap shut 700 times quicker than a blink of an eye
The engineering of trap-jaw ant mandibles demonstrates a fascinating example of convergent evolution.
Why aren’t the biggest animals the fastest?
Being the fastest animal on land, in the sea or in the air is a trade-off between strength, mass and acceleration energy.
Robotic exoskeletons help unlock the science of walking
With the biomechanics of walking still not fully understood, strapping volunteers into robotic suits proves a valuable step forward. Andrew Masterson reports.