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    This Beetle can Survive getting Run Over by a Car. Engineers are figuring out how

    October 22, 2020, Categories  Physics

    Delamination
    The diabolical ironclad beetle has puzzle piece-like blades in its abdomen that “delaminate” to prevent the beetle’s exoskeleton from suddenly failing under immense force. Purdue researchers simulated this mechanism using 3D-printed versions of the blades. (Purdue University video/Maryam Hosseini and Pablo Zavattieri)

    Getting run over by a car is not a near-death experience for the diabolical ironclad beetle. How the beetle survives could inspire the development of new materials with the same herculean toughness, engineers show.

    These materials would be stiff but ductile like a paper clip, making machinery such as aircraft gas turbines safer and longer-lasting, the researchers said.

    The study, led by engineers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and Purdue Univers...

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