Scientists wondered how a teeny-tiny beetle could get smashed under a Toyota Camry and walk away without a scratch.
According to Business Insider, the diabolical ironclad beetle, or phloeodes diabolicus, can have something 39,000 times its own weight stomp on it--and still survive.
That superhero-level ability is due to hardened casings on each wing that interlock and support the beetle's exoskeleton, like a 3D jigsaw puzzle.
The researchers found three different types of connections, called lateral supports, between the top and bottom halves of the beetle's exoskeleton.
An analysis of the beetles' hardened casings on top of each forewing shows that the shields can deform under enormous weight without losing their shape.
Better, stronger planes and armored vehicles could be designed by mimicking the interlocking nature of these protective layers.
According to Business Insider, the diabolical ironclad beetle, or phloeodes diabolicus, can have something 39,000 times its own weight stomp on it--and still survive.
That superhero-level ability is due to hardened casings on each wing that interlock and support the beetle's exoskeleton, like a 3D jigsaw puzzle.
The researchers found three different types of connections, called lateral supports, between the top and bottom halves of the beetle's exoskeleton.
An analysis of the beetles' hardened casings on top of each forewing shows that the shields can deform under enormous weight without losing their shape.
Better, stronger planes and armored vehicles could be designed by mimicking the interlocking nature of these protective layers.
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