Cat Tongues Are Even 'Handier' Than You Imagined
Monday, November 21, 2016 - 09:51
in Physics & Chemistry
Have you ever taken a good look at a cat's tongue? If so, you may have noticed the tiny, sharp "spines" on its surface. Watching her cat lick a thick, microfiber blanket and immediately become stuck -- tongue out -- was all it took to inspire Alexis Noel, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, working in the Hu Biolocomotion Lab at Georgia Tech, to explore the odd "spines" she noticed while helping to disentangle her cat. During the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD), being held Nov. 20-22, in Portland, Oregon, Noel will describe this concept, which she likens to using stiff versus soft hairbrushes, and what it might enable.