Odontodactylus scyllarus (image credit: Roy L. Caldwell)
The peacock mantis shrimp swings its club so fast that even the *shock wave* produced by the swing is strong enough to fracture its prey. Crazy.
Something that can swing that fast multiple times and not get damaged itself must be really strong, so scientists created a material modeled after the structure inside the mantis shrimp’s claw. They’re hoping to use it in planes, cars, helmets, and armor.
image credit: Roy L. Caldwell / UC Berkeley, Wikipedia
(via The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe and The Washington Post)
