Porpoise aims its sonar by twisting physics laws

• Autores: Sam Wong
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 3152, 2017, pág. 10
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Porpoises have the combination of acoustic controls built into their heads to thank for their ability to focus a directed beam of sonar on prey. The bone, air and tissues in their skulls behave like a metamaterial, a material designed to defy the normal laws of physics. These sea mammals can convert non-directional sound waves into a narrow laser of sound. To investigate, Yu Zhang of Xiamen University in China and his colleagues have carried out computed tomography scans of a finless porpoise to measure the acoustic properties of different tissues in its head.