Fantastic Feathers: Form and Function

Данный альбом создан для подготовки абитуриентов, улучшению английского языка и погружению в профильную тематику Professor Lorna J. Gibson presents the 2017 John Wulff Lecture for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT Abstract When we think of birds, we think of feathers. Feathers give birds their color, from the bright red of a male Cardinal to the iridescent reds and greens of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Feathers keep birds warm and dry: down provides excellent insulation against heat loss and water really does roll off a duck’s back. Feathers form the aerodynamic shape of the wing, enabling flight. A Barn Owl’s flight feathers suppress sound, allowing it to fly nearly silently, while its ruff feathers reflect and focus sound into its ears, enabling the owl to hunt in total darkness by sound alone. This talk describes how the microscopic structure of feathers gives rise to their remarkable properties.