About This Lesson
BIO Distinguished Lecture Series – Sheila Patek
"From fast to ultrafast: Evolutionary dynamics and interdisciplinary principles of extreme biological movement."
On November 7, 2018, the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Biological Sciences invited media and members of the public to a Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Sheila Patek of Duke University. Dr. Patek leads a research group at Duke University that probes the dynamic interplay between evolutionary processes and physics in two broad systems: evolutionary physiology of communication in the sea and the evolutionary dynamics of fast animal movements. Her group's work provides innovative insights into human-designed and engineered systems.
In her Distinguished Lecture, Dr. Patek examines the interface of biological discovery and interdisciplinary translation at the outer extremes of fast motion, from the extraordinary accelerations of mantis shrimp hammers and trap-jaw ant jaws, to a new, interdisciplinary paradigm of spring-driven, latch-mediated movement.
