Flying by the skin of our teeth
In a recent study, molars beat materials science Airplane design could be improved with a little inspiration from mammalian chompers. Or so said aerospace engineer Herzl Chai of Tel Aviv University in a press release Wednesday. He and his collaborators studied hundreds of extracted teeth from people and sea otters (apparently our molars are quite similar) to see why teeth can take the wear and tear of a lifetime of peanut brittle. When they submitted the teeth to severe mechanical pressure, they found that pearly whites' complex layers of wavy fibers develop many microcracks instead of a few large fractures. Chai suggests that the glass and carbon fiber materials used in airplanes might not break up in crashes so badly if they were designed with that kind of wavy structure, instead of the gridlike structure currently in use. Hence, the toothplane, landing soon. [Via EurekAlert!]
Flying by the skin of our teeth
It's been a mystery: how can our teeth withstand such an enormous amount of pressure, over many years, when tooth enamel is only about as strong as glass? A new study by Prof. Herzl Chai of ...
Wed 19 Aug 09 from PhysOrg
Flying by the Skin of Our Teeth, Wed 19 Aug 09 from RedOrbit
Flying by the skin of our teeth, Wed 19 Aug 09 from Science Blog
Flying by the skin of our teeth, Wed 19 Aug 09 from R&D Mag
Flying by the skin of our teeth, Wed 19 Aug 09 from e! Science News
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Looking for an inspiration to build more crash resistant aircraft, mechanical engineers are looking at the architecture of the tooth.
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The structure of teeth could be used to improve the design and engineering of planes and spacecrafts of the future according to Israeli scientists.
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Building Safer Airplanes Out of Teeth
In a recent study, molars beat materials science Airplane design could be improved with a little inspiration from mammalian chompers. Or so said aerospace engineer Herzl Chai of Tel Aviv University ...
Fri 21 Aug 09 from Popular Science
Teeth inspire aerospace design
Engineers in Israel and the US are investigating whether the structure of human teeth could inspire future designs of aircraft and space vehicles.
Thu 20 Aug 09 from The Engineer
What The Mystery Of Teeth Can Tell Us About Future Airplanes
Our teeth can withstand an enormous amount of pressure over a period of decades but tooth enamel is only about as strong as glass. The mystery of teeth may become a solution to future aircraft ...
Wed 19 Aug 09 from Scientific Blogging
Total number of sources: 11
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