Sheila N. Patek: 2 ideas worth knowing

2 ideas from Sheila N. Patek, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

This ant's bite is 2,300 times faster than a blink
The trap-jaw ant snaps its mandibles shut at up to 145 mph, among the fastest self-powered strikes ever measured in an animal. It works like a crossbow: muscles slowly load elastic…
— Sheila N. Patek et al., Multifunctionality and mechanical origins: Ballistic jaw propulsion in trap-jaw ants
A shrimp's punch is so fast it boils the water and flashes with light
The peacock mantis shrimp swings its club-like forelimb with the acceleration of a fired bullet, reaching speeds over 20 metres per second in under a tenth of a millisecond. The st…
— Sheila Patek et al., Deadly Strike Mechanism of a Mantis Shrimp

Five ideas worth knowing, every week