All thinkers

Thomas Eisner: 2 ideas worth knowing

2 ideas from Thomas Eisner, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

• A beetle mixes two chemicals inside its own body to fire a boiling, corrosive spray

  When threatened, a bombardier beetle combines hydroquinones and hydrogen peroxide in an internal reaction chamber, triggering a reaction that heats the mixture near boiling and bla…

  — Thomas Eisner, For Love of Insects

• A beetle mixes two chemicals in its own body to fire a scalding, corrosive spray

  The bombardier beetle stores hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide in separate internal chambers and, when threatened, combines them with enzymes in a reaction chamber that heats the …

  — Thomas Eisner, The Bombardier Beetle and Its Use of Gases

Five ideas worth knowing, every week

The week's best cards and a puzzle, credited as always. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Subscribe