Biomechanics Articles
In the preface to his textbook Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World professor Steven Vogel said that "Comparative biomechanics . . . worries about why legged creatures switch from walking to running at particular speeds, how slugs slither, how flies fly, how samaras spin."
For over eight years I've written a regular column about biomechanics for Natural History magazine. During that time I've had a chance to talk about the hows and whys of organisms ranging from the daffodil to T. Rex.
- The Lobster’s Violin June 2001
- Got Silk? July/August 2001
- Struttin' Your Stuff September 2001
- A Fish Story October 2001
- Sand Dune Two-Step November 2001
- Spring Loaded December/January 2001
- Hairy Noses February 2002
- A Giant Leap for Wormkind March 2002
- Twister! April 2002
- Fast Food Joints May 2002
- A Weighty Matter June 2002
- Sex is in the Air July/August 2002
- Fat heads sink ships September 2002
- Lip-o-suction October 2002
- Head Turner November 2002
- How Does That Grab You? December 2002/January 2003
- Flap Your Hands February 2003
- Open wide (and fast) March 2003
- Throwing yourself into it April 2003
- Serpents in the air May 2003
- Monitor Marathons June 2003
- Extreme Forestry July/August 2003
- Squeeze Play September 2003
- Evolutionary Anthems October 2003
- Tendons from the sea November 2003
- Run to fly December 2003/January 2004
- Fog sucking BeetlesFebruary 2004
- Meddling with pedaling March 2004
- Curve balls April 2004
- How a Star Avoids the Limelight May 2004
- As the whale turns June 2004
- Float like a butterfly sting like a shrimp July/August 2004
- Bent beak flycatcher September 2004
- Slime and threads October 2004
- Climbing high November 2004
- Broken hearted December 2003/January 2005
- Tall trees March 2005
- Born to run April 2005
- Snap catcher June 2005
- Busted genes September 2005
- Boxed Up To Go October 2005
- Shooting small things November 2005
- Sticky fly feet December 2005/January 2006
- Bendy shark teeth February 2006
- Slippery plant leaves March 2006
- Bone substitute May 2006
- Keep Me Hanging On July/August 2006
- By a whisker September 2006
- Nice threads October 2006
- Jaws That Jump December 2006/January 2007
- No bones about ‘em March 2007
- A spring in its step May 2007
- Cold squirts July/August 2007
- Swiftly turning bird October 2007
- Skate history December 2007
- Ant flying February 2007
- Eel biting March 2007
- Rising fastball April 2008
- Turtle righting April 2009