How Do Woodpeckers Avoid Brain Injury? May 16, 2013

Woodpeckers peck to forage for insects in trees, to build cavity nests and to "drum" to define their territory. On impact, their heads decelerate at about 15 times the rate that causes brain injury in humans. And they can peck up to 30 times each second. So, how is it possible that they avoid brain injury? Learn the answer at this talk by Lorna Gibson, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology