Woodpecker’s shock-absorbers

By Rhiannonw

Thu, 28 Jun 2012
  • 4239 reads
8 comments
 

Hammering rapidly:
force on its head that is
greater than 1000 g*.
(If banged at just 300g,
we’d be concussed,
or our brains would be messed.)
Specialised structure of
bones and tendons,
beak and muscles,
and a fluid pocket,
give fantastic
properties elastic
and shock-absorbent,
a veritable chain or packet
of measures,
cushioning sequentially
for dissipation of energy:
design inspiring
those engineers who seek
ways to protect the weak
micro-devices delicate,
absorb the shocks and shakes
that devastate.

*g is the acceleration/deceleration due to gravitational force

Certificate U
Poem
Grand Designs
Nature

Comments

Submitted by imranmohdusman on
haha... niiice!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
Thank you both for reading, and I'm glad it bowled you over! I'm constantly amazed by the complexity of design in living things both on the larger level like this and the molecular, and I think new layers of commplexity are constantly coming to light. regards, Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on
Ten out of ten for originality, Rhiannon;-) Quite something...woodpeckers. We have a number of Greater Spotteds in our neck of the woods, and quite a few fledglings this year. Devastating though, when one flew into an upstairs window just last week, which we buried underneath our willow tree...its favourite haunt. Its mum was distraught and we haven't seen her since, unfortunately. Thanks for posting this. Tina

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
Thank you, Tina. You do seem to live in a lovely spot — and observe it well. regards, Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

It's a long time since my study of physics, but I understand that g is "a measure of acceleration, not force" [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-force#Unit_and_measurement ], so, although it is I think usually referred to in ordinary conversatin as 'g force', I didn't want to get pulled up for inaccuracy, so thought what I put would do??
Rhiannon
(This was in reply to a now deleted comment)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
So, my footnote was OK. I used 'force' in the text, as common parlance, poetic licence, the force which would produce that sort of acceleration. So with the footnote that was I hope the best way? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

HI Rhiannon

I enjoyed reading this and learning from it, and the lines had a sort of rat a tat tat, feeling about them.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jean. That's useful to know. Rhiannon