Monthly Archives: November 2011

Sky slitherers

November 12, 2011 at 7:10 pm

Say the word “glide” out loud, and you’re likely to think first and foremost of wings. Most gliding creatures have some kind of wing-like structure to aid in their battle against gravity, from the patagium of the flying squirrel to the wide, papery wings of the Javan cucumber seed. Most, but not all. Meet genus […]

By Solange | Posted in student post | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

Spinning and gliding seeds

November 10, 2011 at 3:34 am

A previous post by a student in last quarter’s class briefly discusses the autorotation abilities of the maple samara, then talked about a monocopter based on the samara’s design. The maple samara is certainly fascinating – but it is not the only seed with interesting aerodynamic properties. In fact, it is described as “crude” in […]

By David Sindel | Posted in student post | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

The canopy ants: Prof Steve Yanoviak speaks in EK131

November 5, 2011 at 9:35 pm

Canopy ants use “directed aerial descent” to return to their home tree trunk when they fall from a branch. They were the first known case of gliding in an insect with no wings— a completely unexpected discovery. They also glide intentionally backwards toward the tree, with their abdomen (gaster) leading and their head tailing, which […]

By Lorena Barba | Posted in lectures | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)