Tuesday, December 6, 2022 4pm to 5pm
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 4pm to 5pm
About this Event
Add to calendarZoom Registration: harvard.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkfuypqzgoHdDx94E23FZqUu9-2w_Dp_r_
Biting insects can draw up to half a liter of blood per cow per day. In response, many mammals have evolved long swishing tails to defend themselves. In experiments at Zoo Atlanta and CDC, we show that mammals swing their tails at three times the frequency as gravitational pendulums. They generate wind speeds comparable to a mosquito's flight speed, sufficient to deter 50 percent from landing. We use this insight to design a more effective mosquito trap, which consists of fans that suck in mosquitoes and blow out attractants. We use IR cameras to track hundreds of mosquitoes interacting with the trap, showing that a key design feature is avoiding blowing the mosquitoes away. Lastly, we present our work on the formation of the cube-shaped poo of wombats. We measure intestinal material properties and performing drying experiments in open troughs to demonstrate the processes that form the flat sides.