The Butterfly’s Wing

The wings of a butterfly are so fragile that even the weight of specks of dust or drops of moisture could make flying difficult. Nevertheless, the wings stay clean and dry. What is the butterfly’s secret?

Overlapping scales on a butterfly’s wing — The butterfly’s wing has minute overlapping scales

Researchers studying the Giant Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho didius) found that although the insect’s wings look smooth to the naked eye, the surfaces are covered with minute overlapping scales that resemble tiles on a roof. Even tinier parallel grooves on the surface of these scales cause dirt or drops of water to roll off with ease. Engineers are seeking to copy the wings’ texture in order to make high-tech coatings for industry and medical equipment that are resistant to dirt and water.

The butterfly’s wing is another example of how science is trying to mimic the designs found in living things. “Nature is full of engineering marvels, from the micro to the macro scale, that have inspired mankind for centuries,” says researcher Bharat Bhushan.

The Lantern of the Photuris Firefly

THE lantern, or light organ, of a particular Photuris firefly is covered with jagged scales that dramatically enhance the brightness of the light that the insect produces. * Jagged scales Consider: Researchers have found that tiny scales on the lantern surface of some fireflies form a corrugated pattern, somewhat like overlapping shingles or tiles. The scales tilt up at one end by just 3 micrometers —less than one twentieth the thickness of a human hair. Yet this tiny tilt lets the lantern shine almost 50 percent more brightly than it would if the scales formed an even surface!

An Overview of Indonesia

Land Straddling the equator between Australia and continental Asia, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago. Most of its more than 17,500 islands feature rugged mountains and dense tropical forests. With more than 100 active volcanoes, it is also the most active volcanic region on earth.

PORTRAITS FROM THE PASTIgnaz Semmelweis

IGNAZ SEMMELWEIS may not be a household name, yet his work has benefited most modern families. Born in Buda (now Budapest), Hungary, he received his medical degree at the University of Vienna in 1844. On taking up his post as assistant to a professor at the First Maternity Clinic of Vienna’s General Hospital in 1846, Semmelweis faced an appalling reality —more than 13 percent of the women giving birth there died from a disease called childbed fever. Various theories as to the cause of this disease had been proposed, yet no one had solved the mystery. All attempts to reduce the mortality rate proved futile. Troubled by the spectacle of numerous mothers suffering a slow, agonizing death, Semmelweis determined to find the cause of the disease and prevent it.

Rielyn Co

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