Could a Piranha-Proof Fish Help The Military?
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Courtesy: Jacobs School of Engineering
Piranhas are not known to peacefully co-exist with other creatures, but one Amazonian fish has been doing just that, leading scientists to believe its scales could hold the key to creating better military body armor.
The arapaima fish, which weigh in at an average of 300-pounds, have intricately designed scales that act like flexible body armor for the ancient fish.
“Piranhas will attack anything for food. If you fall in the lake in October, there is not much hope for a person,” said Marc Meyers, professor at the Jacobs School of Engineering at University of California San Diego.
Meyers said he was fascinated how the arapaima could survive in a piranha-filled lake when no other species could and decided to set up a laboratory experiment using a piranha tooth and arapaima scales.
Meyers found that the teeth could partially penetrate the scale, but cracked before they punctured the muscle.
“The scale of the fish is hard and at the same time it is flexible,” he said.
Meyers, who has been going to the Amazon for decades, saw an opportunity. He previously worked on military projects before he got into biological research.
“This could be used to create flexible ceramics,” he said, pointing to military body armor as one potential use.
But he believes there could be many uses for his unique finding.
“You match a discovery with a need,” he said.
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Did he try shooting the fish with an AK47? …so the lesson here is what, the military needs flexible body armor? We didn’t know that? ..or that if Paranas attack our troops while they are wearing flexible body armor they will damage their teeth?
Useless story – how about a story about how many democrat hit piece stories ABC News received from corrupt democrat media thugs Media Matters instead? Or how obama’s latest budget is so moronic that even democrats in the Senate won’t touch it!? How about how obama has spent 5 trillion over 4 years and is bankrupting the nation while spinning lies about impossible tax schemes that make no sense!? How about you at ABC News stop licking the government’s boots for a day or two and DO YOU JOBS FOR A CHANGE!!
Posted by: shepard145 | February 19, 2012, 10:29 am 10:29 am
Shepard145: The lesson learned here is that scientists have discovered something that could potentially create new technology that would keep our troops safer. You’re against that? I mean, we know that conservatives hate science, but there you are. At your computer. Using all that electricity and gravity. If it weren’t for science, you’d be posting your moronic comments with a pencil. On the ceiling.
As for ABC shilling for Obama, how exactly does that relate to the story above? It doesn’t. Somehow, conservatives manage to shoehorn their politics into any and every subject, regardless of appropriateness. By the way, good try. The majority of that ’5 trillion over 4 years’ came from your bush/cheney assclown cabal. Obama has saved this country from economic ruin and the proof is out there for everyone to see.
By putting up backward, religious nutbars like Romney and Santorum, the GOP continues to demonstrate its irrelevance.
Posted by: John T Draper | February 19, 2012, 11:10 am 11:10 am
Piranah AREN’T much of a threat to humans. It’s a myth that has been disproven.
Posted by: Jim | February 19, 2012, 11:24 am 11:24 am
Listen to what John T Draper has posted,folks. Finally someone with the voice of reason has made a comment…and the only valid comment I’ve seen on these boards in a long time.
Posted by: Jasper E. | February 19, 2012, 12:08 pm 12:08 pm
Sorry but John T Draper’s statements are bereft of reason. If he thinks Obama has saved the economy, he is either insane, lying, or totally ignorant of economics. Furthermore, making ridiculous blanket statements that conservatives hate science is nonsensical. He is still stuck on the left/right Hegelian dialectic paradigm. Congratulations to him for being a pawn of the mind masters. He’s the type of sheeple they love.
Posted by: ao | February 19, 2012, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
AO: Obama has saved the US economy and every competent economist knows it.
As for my blanket statement on conservatives and science, one need only to look at the current debate on social issues. Santorum’s stooge, Foster Friesse recently commented that back in his day, women held a bayer asperin between their legs for birth control. You just don’t get any more backward, anti-science, anti-health and anti-women than that. Besides, any conversation about health care that begins with the sentence, ‘back in my day,’ is ludicrous. Today is the day. And today, we know that birth control saves lives.
Finally, as to your reference to the Hegelian Dialtectic, it’s clear you have no idea what the phrase means. Here’s an example: Knowing they completely botched their promised ‘fight for jobs,’ the republicans now turn to abortion, gay marraige and birth control to distract us from their utter failure. Their so-called midterm referendum on the economy has turned into a circus of anti-gay and anti-women legislation. Where are all the jobs bills they promised? Instead, they’ve mandated invansive, non-medical procedures to bully women out of terminating their pregnancies.
The GOP has consistantly failed this country for decades. The very definition of sheeple are the morons that continue to follow them. They’re the pawns. They’re the ones that keep voting to have their own rights and pocketbooks decimated.
Posted by: John T Draper | February 19, 2012, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
This can be a great step to provide better protection to our soldiers, law enforcement, and other personal that will need the use of such protection. This can also develop into a better armor for tanks and vehicles as well, and eventually it make it to the civilian market, like a puncture resistant tire, safer hunting gear, stronger tents, even work equipment, the applications of this research is just not for the military but it continues down the line. Everything you have today is because it was result of or because of military, anti lock brakes were developed for military and civilian aircraft, your cell phone and the internet you are using is a result of military application called signal jumping invented by Hedy Lamour on a dinner napkin for a Navy officer trying to find a way to keep the enemy from jamming radio signals, your GPS is a result of the military needing more accurate location tracking quicker, even modern manufacturing is a result of being more efficient and building as much as possible for as efficient as possible came from WWII, modern logistics to make sure you always have your favorite foods in stock at your local Wally world is a result of logistical theory and application developed in the military, see the military is more involved in your life than you realize that is why it is so important to always fund the military because they can afford the expensive R&R that civilian companies cannot afford to do but find and develop a more affordable way to produce it and we as consumers benefit from it.
Posted by: Robert | February 19, 2012, 3:17 pm 3:17 pm
Robert, you are dead-on. This could lead to some extraordinary technology. I’m glad it is being researched.
Posted by: redgirl | February 20, 2012, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
Why on earth do you nut jobs keep spinning everything into political drivel… Drives me nuts! This is a very interesting story and will no doubt lead to revolutionary new armoring tech. In case you haven’t noticed both parties are bought and paid for…and full of bull!!
Posted by: True | February 20, 2012, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
Lightweight, flexible body armor that works would be a dream come true. After trudging about in the current technology during summer in the Middle-East, I can say this is a valid need. The flexible ceramics Professor Meyers is envisioning would have a vast array of other applications, too. How about a hail-proof roof or dent resistant cars?
Posted by: Arf40 | February 21, 2012, 12:00 pm 12:00 pm