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Slithering Snakes: The Science Behind the Motion of a Young Anaconda

Research offers insight into how snakes move by bending and twisting out of the plane, into the third dimension.

Robots made of linked particle chains

Coordinated behaviors like swarming – from ant colonies to schools of fish – are found everywhere in nature. Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have given a nod to nature with a next-generation robot system that’s capable of movement, exploration, transport and cooperation.

How do bird nests stay together?

The concept of constructing a self-supporting structure made of rods — without the use of nails, ropes, or glue — dates back to Leonardo da Vinci. In the Codex Atlanticus, da Vinci illustrated a design for a self-supporting bridge across a river, which can be easily demonstrated using toothpicks, matches, or chopsticks. However, this design […]

I ❤️️ kirigami.

Artists have long used kirigami (from the Japanese kiri meaning cut and kami meaning paper), a less heralded cousin of origami, to create everything from pop-up cards to castles.

Can you change a chicken into a frog, a fish or a chameleon?

Researchers show how changes in cellular activity can drive changes in embryonic development.

Reverse engineering Jackson Pollock.

Researchers combine physics and machine learning to use Pollock’s drip paint technique for quick and accurate 3D printing.

You hear the musical saw. These mathematicians heard geometry.

A scientist who has studied falling playing cards, coiling rope and other phenomena has now analyzed what transforms a carpenter’s tool into a sonorous instrument.

Fired from brushing his daughter’s hair, a scientist uses math to detangle the problem

The Harvard professor formed a team to solve a riddle stumping many exasperated parents: What’s the most painless way to brush tangled hair?

The physics of a singing saw

Insights on centuries-old folk instrument is underpinned by a mathematical principle that may pave the way for high-quality resonators for sensing, electronics and more.

Tear-free brushing? All you need is math

Researchers develop a mathematical understanding of detangling that could be used for textile manufacturing, robotic hairdressers