Lizard Tails

[Cat's Cradle]

Nature is so amazing. Here is a New York Times article on the biomechanics of tail separation, in lizards. I was thinking early on in the piece of how the concept would be a great story point, in a tale about robots, and then they mentioned robotics towards the end. But anyway, the never-ending wonders of Nature and evolution, gotta love it:

The Paradox of the Lizard Tail, Solved (Published 2022)

It can break off in an instant but also stay firmly attached. Scientists have figured out the microscopic structures that make this survival skill possible.

www.nytimes.com