Medusa reimagined: Reverse engineering a jellyfish with ability to swim
Sunday, July 22, 2012 - 13:30
in Physics & Chemistry
When one observes a jellyfish pulsating through the ocean, Greek mythology probably doesn't immediately come to mind. But the animal once was known as the medusa, after the snake-haired mythological creature its tentacles resemble. The mythological Medusa's gaze turned people into stone, and now, thanks to recent advances in bio-inspired engineering, a team of researchers have flipped that fable on its head: turning a solid element -- silicon -- and muscle cells into a freely swimming "jellyfish."