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A few weeks ago=2C Bob Fournier was talking about this on CBC Information M=
orning's Wednesday science slot. He said there is some peripheral interest =
in woodpecker research related to concussion prevention and helmet design f=
or sports. The trick would be to come up with a structure that worked for a=
wide range of points of impact. This might be possible with modern materia=
ls and technologies.
=20
David
=20
> Date: Thu=2C 12 Apr 2012 12:45:31 -0300
> From: sternrichard@gmail.com
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Article re: How Woodpeckers Peck
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>=20
> Hi=2C
>=20
> The info=2C and the article=2C are intreresting=2C but not really new. I =
can
> remember back in the 1960s or early '70s there was a paper in The
> Lancet=2C and quite a series of follow up letters=2C talking about the
> same subject and whether it might lead to improved helmet design etc.
> One of the issues was whether human sinuses=2C which have never been
> shown to serve any useful purpose besides getting clogged up and
> infected from time to time=2C might be some sort of ancestral evolution
> of stuctures such as those present in woodpecker skulls=2C which at one
> time might indeed have served a more evolutionary useful purpose. I
> seem to recall that a motor cycle helmet was actually designed=2C on the
> principles of woodpecker skulls=2C but people thought it would never
> catch on because the beak would never appeal aesthetically to bikers!
> Meanwhile=2C let's hope that some of those Red-bellies stick around and
> nest in NS.
>=20
> Richard
>=20
> On 4/12/12=2C Blake Maybank <bmaybank@gmail.com> wrote:
> > *Hard Headedness*
> >
> > "New research into the skulls of woodpeckers has shown just how it is t=
hat
> > they don't suffer brain injury when pecking away at a tree. They can hi=
t
> > the bark of a tree with a force greater than 1=2C000 times that of grav=
ity
> > (1=2C000 G's). Previous studies had shown that thick neck muscles diffu=
se the
> > blows and a third inner eyelid keeps the eye from "popping" out=2C but =
it
> > wasn't understood how their brain could survive the forces in play.
> >
> > Thanks to new research at Beihang University in Beijing and the Wuhan
> > University of Technology=2C it has been shown that there is a thick bon=
e
> > which cushions the brain. Not only that=2C but the skull surrounding th=
e
> > brain is made up of a thick=2C spongy plate like bone. There are also a
> > number of "beam like" structures providing a mesh like structure=2C giv=
ing
> > the bone it's sponge like structure."
> >
> > For more information:
> > http://www.livescience.com/19586-woodpecker-skull-concussions.html
> >
> >
> > --
> > Blake Maybank <bmaybank@gmail.com>
> > White's Lake=2C Nova Scotia
> > My Blog: *CSI: Life* <http://blakemaybank.com>
> >
>=20
>=20
> --=20
> #################
> Dr.R.B.Stern=2C
> P.O. Box 300=2C
> Port Williams=2C
> N.S.=2C Canada=2C
> B0P 1T0
> Richard Stern=2C
> Port Williams=2C NS=2C Canada
> sternrichard@gmail.com
> ###################
=
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<body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>
A few weeks ago=2C Bob Fournier was talking about this on CBC Information M=
orning's Wednesday science slot. He said there =3Bis some peripheral in=
terest in =3Bwoodpecker research related to concussion prevention and h=
elmet design for sports. The trick would be to come up with a structure tha=
t worked =3Bfor a wide range of points of impact. This might be possibl=
e with modern materials and technologies.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
David<BR>
 =3B<BR>
<DIV>
<DIV id=3DSkyDrivePlaceholder></DIV>>=3B Date: Thu=2C 12 Apr 2012 12:45:3=
1 -0300<BR>>=3B From: sternrichard@gmail.com<BR>>=3B Subject: Re: [Natu=
reNS] Article re: How Woodpeckers Peck<BR>>=3B To: naturens@chebucto.ns.c=
a<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B Hi=2C<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B The info=2C and the artic=
le=2C are intreresting=2C but not really new. I can<BR>>=3B remember back=
in the 1960s or early '70s there was a paper in The<BR>>=3B Lancet=2C an=
d quite a series of follow up letters=2C talking about the<BR>>=3B same s=
ubject and whether it might lead to improved helmet design etc.<BR>>=3B O=
ne of the issues was whether human sinuses=2C which have never been<BR>>=
=3B shown to serve any useful purpose besides getting clogged up and<BR>>=
=3B infected from time to time=2C might be some sort of ancestral evolution=
<BR>>=3B of stuctures such as those present in woodpecker skulls=2C which=
at one<BR>>=3B time might indeed have served a more evolutionary useful =
purpose. I<BR>>=3B seem to recall that a motor cycle helmet was actually =
designed=2C on the<BR>>=3B principles of woodpecker skulls=2C but people =
thought it would never<BR>>=3B catch on because the beak would never appe=
al aesthetically to bikers!<BR>>=3B Meanwhile=2C let's hope that some of =
those Red-bellies stick around and<BR>>=3B nest in NS.<BR>>=3B <BR>>=
=3B Richard<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B On 4/12/12=2C Blake Maybank <=3Bbmaybank=
@gmail.com>=3B wrote:<BR>>=3B >=3B *Hard Headedness*<BR>>=3B >=3B=
<BR>>=3B >=3B "New research into the skulls of woodpeckers has shown ju=
st how it is that<BR>>=3B >=3B they don't suffer brain injury when peck=
ing away at a tree. They can hit<BR>>=3B >=3B the bark of a tree with a=
force greater than 1=2C000 times that of gravity<BR>>=3B >=3B (1=2C000=
G's). Previous studies had shown that thick neck muscles diffuse the<BR>&g=
t=3B >=3B blows and a third inner eyelid keeps the eye from "popping" out=
=2C but it<BR>>=3B >=3B wasn't understood how their brain could survive=
the forces in play.<BR>>=3B >=3B<BR>>=3B >=3B Thanks to new resear=
ch at Beihang University in Beijing and the Wuhan<BR>>=3B >=3B Universi=
ty of Technology=2C it has been shown that there is a thick bone<BR>>=3B =
>=3B which cushions the brain. Not only that=2C but the skull surrounding=
the<BR>>=3B >=3B brain is made up of a thick=2C spongy plate like bone=
. There are also a<BR>>=3B >=3B number of "beam like" structures provid=
ing a mesh like structure=2C giving<BR>>=3B >=3B the bone it's sponge l=
ike structure."<BR>>=3B >=3B<BR>>=3B >=3B For more information:<BR>=
>=3B >=3B http://www.livescience.com/19586-woodpecker-skull-concussions=
.html<BR>>=3B >=3B<BR>>=3B >=3B<BR>>=3B >=3B --<BR>>=3B >=
=3B Blake Maybank <=3Bbmaybank@gmail.com>=3B<BR>>=3B >=3B White's L=
ake=2C Nova Scotia<BR>>=3B >=3B My Blog: *CSI: Life* <=3Bhttp://blake=
maybank.com>=3B<BR>>=3B >=3B<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B -- <BR>&=
gt=3B #################<BR>>=3B Dr.R.B.Stern=2C<BR>>=3B P.O. Box 300=2C=
<BR>>=3B Port Williams=2C<BR>>=3B N.S.=2C Canada=2C<BR>>=3B B0P 1T0<B=
R>>=3B Richard Stern=2C<BR>>=3B Port Williams=2C NS=2C Canada<BR>>=3B=
sternrichard@gmail.com<BR>>=3B ###################<BR></DIV> =
</div></body>
</html>=
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