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Nature's Engineers
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Cleverest engineers on the planet
If you want to see some of the cleverest engineers on the planet in action, you only have to take a look at the world around you - Nature is full of them. And it's definitely a case of size doesn't count. For example...
Scientists have long been interested in copying these natural engineering marvels. The science of building machines and materials that imitate nature is called biomimetics and in today's world biomimetic materials can be found everywhere, from hospital operating theatres to the Space Shuttle.
Spider Spin Doctors - A spider's silk is 5 times stronger than steel, so if a spider was the same size as a human, it would be able to spin a web strong enough to catch a helicopter! The average garden spider makes a web with a total thread length of 20 to 60 metres, and can build as many as 100 webs in its lifetime, each weighing less than a milligram. Phew!
Crusty Crabs - A crustacean called the smasher mantis shrimp may be shrimpy, but it sure ain't wimpy. It roams around underwater coral reefs looking for snails to eat. When it finds one, it drags it back to its burrow, and punches its shell in with a a pounding mechanism that operates at a peak speed of 23 meters per second, or over 80 kilometres per hour.
Bob the Beaver - These furry little construction workers use the same methods to build dams as we do (wonder who thought of it first?). Their dam building efforts mean they reliably and economically maintain wetlands, slow floodwaters, prevent erosion, raise the water table and act as the "earth's kidneys" to purify water.
Athletic Ants - Humans like to think we run the show, but when ants march together, not much can stand in their way. With some 10,000 known types, they outnumber us a million to one, and the total weight of ants matches that of the entire human race. What's more an ant can lift up to 20 times its own weight (if an 80 kilogram man could that, he'd be able to lift an SUV).
Scientists have long been interested in copying these natural engineering marvels. The science of building machines and materials that imitate nature is called biomimetics and in today's world biomimetic materials can be found everywhere, from hospital operating theatres to the Space Shuttle.