Spider webs stronger than steel… shrimp that can break through glass… sharks that use their snouts to sense the electrical impulses of their prey… fish that can bite through bricks.
“Built to Survive: Biomechanics,” a new exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, offers these and other fascinating marvels of natural engineering as it reveals how evolution is Earth’s greatest inventor.
The exhibit runs from September 29, 2018, to April 28, 2019, and is included with general admission to the museum.
Interactive exhibits, immersive media and scientific objects help visitors understand how wonders of the plant and animal kingdoms eat, move, avoid predators and process information to take them to a higher gear above their competition. Displays and demonstrations illustrate why everything living — including humans — is a machine built to survive, move and discover.
“This exhibit is highly interactive, and I’m sure visitors of all ages will enjoy a fun, hands-on experience as the amazing science of biomechanics comes to life all around them,” said Sonia Winner, museum president and CEO. “They’ll also see how many of these marvels of natural engineering have inspired ingenious, man-made mechanisms.”
Examples draw from the entire natural world, from ants to microbes to humans. Visitors can meet scientists who investigate these plants and animals, experiment with new adaptations and applications, and learn about the future of biomechanics and biomimicry, fields that are re-energizing the imaginations of architects, engineers and designers alike.
