Biomechanics
September 2004
Flexible Feeders
The lower bill of the hummingbird makes a nectar-drinking beak into one for catching insects.
July-August 2006
Keep Me Hanging On
Surviving in the intertidal zone tests the rubbery limits of algae.
June 2005
Snap!
How can the Venus flytrap indulge its taste for insect flesh? The secret is the cunning construction of its leaves.
May 2004
How a Star Avoids the Limelight
Some echinoderms have thousands of eyes on their backs. When the lights come on, they switch to wearing shades.
February 2004
Like Water Off a Beetle’s Back
An African insect could show how to wring moisture from the fog—and let the sun shine on cloudy airports.
July–August 2007
Cold Squirts
Antarctic scallops have lighter shells, less muscle mass, and more resilient hinge rubber than their tropical cousins.
December 2007–January 2008
Skating through the Ages
Skaters have been speeding up over the centuries, thanks to better footwear.
