Polypterus Senegalus?
Once again modern-man, the sophisticated homo sapien sapiens that we are, we with all the hi-tech digital expertise are confounded by nature and what was more than 100,000,000 year ago. If it's not one reminder it's another. And that which was used for right purposes we want to develop into a military tool of course. I'm talking about the polypterus senegalus of course! Why sure! :-)
The polypterus senegalus is an African fish that have trolls the murky freshwater pools and has for nearly 100 million years. And our interest might be?
Body armor! Body armor?
If there is anything that we've heard about from Iraq over the past few years it has been how our vehicles in Iraq do not have enough body armor and how the protective vests that our men and women wear are ineffective. So, it's back to the future, back one hundred million years to find ths secrets.
The armor of the fish, Polypterus senegalus, is so effective because it is a composite of several materials lined up in a certain way, the engineers state in a their analysis detailed in the July 27 issue of the journal Nature Materials. "Such fundamental knowledge holds great potential for the development of improved biologically inspired structural materials," said lead MIT researcher Christine Ortiz, "for example soldier, first-responder and military vehicle armor applications."
With funding from the U.S. Army, the engineers measured the material properties of a single fish scale and its four layer materials, including bone and dentine (a major mineral in teeth). The different chemical properties of each material, the shape and thickness of each layer and the junctions between layers all contributed to the armor's strength.
"That doesn't surprise me that hundreds of millions of years of evolution would be a good starting point for what we need for this day and age," said Leo Smith, assistant curator of zoology at The Field Museum in Chicago, "The armor's been sort of fine-tuned during that time for different aspects."
What else did we once know that we've forgotten or has been taken away, lost over the millions of years? Lost civilizations, lost knowledge of the universe, and lost knowledge of WHO WE ARE! May we return home, or at least begin the journey........back!
Related Tags: freshwater, iraq, african, military, homo sapien sapiens, polypterus senegalus
As a spiritual-futurist my commentaries and articles deal primarily with an interpretation of current events in light of macro-universal forces at play.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Solar Power - A Sustainable Source Of Energy
Since time began, the sun was seen as a source of energy. Suprisingly only about 10% of solar energy - Why Leopards Are Becoming Extinct
On the flooded marshlands of Mombo in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Botswana, there are fertile f - The Different Kinds Of Bats
Most bats are found in warm places. Some are very strange: there are brightly colored, even spotted, - How Bats Find Their Way In The Dark
People have always been puzzled by how bats see small insects in the dark, and how they avoid bumpin - How Bats Live
Bats live together in caves or other dark places during the day. Just before dark, or before the sun - At Home With Mr. Burroughs
Youth still peered out at me in spite of his crowning thatch of silvery hair when I first met John B - Gas Fired Boiler Care Evaluation
Get Central Heating Cover And UnwindWhilst advanced heating boilers are reliable, at some point in t - Environment Articles - India's strength and investments in Nuclear Energy Markets
Indian Nuclear Energy Markets Indian Nuclear Energy Market: An investment opportunity of US$55 - Environment Articles - Wind Energy is the fastest growing renewable energy sector in India
Wind Energy Markets in India India is likely to generate almost five times more wind energy cap - Environment Articles - Ideas On Reusable Kids Lunch Boxes
If your kids are now in school, lunch boxes are what you need. Packing their lunch assures mothers a
Most viewed articles in this category:
- The Demand for Water and Water Privatisation
On TV recently you have Indian villagers complaining that coca cola had built a bottling plant in th - Solar Powered Lights
All of our energy comes from the sun. Solar powered lights offer a low cost and do not pollute the e - About Ethanol Distillation
Through the years, people have been used to oil price hikes, such that even when prices rise to a se - Simple Mold Removal Wihtout Cleaning Mold
Are you fighting with black mold and it keeps coming back? Use the correct methods for mold cleaning - The Business of Saving the Planet
On a sweltering day during the summer, I called my business partner Michael to ask why he thought it - Global E-Waste Dumping - How Does It Occur?
When people "donate" or "recycle" electronics and computers, they do so with good intentions, and th - Earth Friendly Composting
Earth Friendly Composting Municipalities throughout the United States require residents and busines - A Unique Overview of Yellowstone National Park
When it comes to national parks, it is hard to imagine a more famous one than Yellowstone National P - Save the Planet Article 2
This is the second article in a series that examines common house-hold products, how their manufactu - Air Testing In The Uk Building Trade
Part L Building Regulations 2000, which came into effect on 6th April 2006, is one part of the Gover