Bombs and Butterflies

When a butterflies flutter by, the color seems to change on some of them. Their coloring is not from pigmentation, but tiny iridescent scales reflecting light. Some fascinating science and technology is being used to develop blast badges for soldiers on the battlefield. From the amount of color change, the intensity of the blast can be detected.

God gave us intelligently designed minds to investigate our world and benefit from what we've learned. Biomimetics applications like this are an excellent example.

Diagnosing and treating brain trauma is particularly tricky, since the extent of the injury can’t be directly detected, and the severity depends on the strength of the blast, which doctors can’t observe. Furthermore, symptoms of serious damage don’t always appear right away. Slowly progressing brain damage can go undetected and undiagnosed, sometimes for years. To make diagnosis even more challenging, symptoms can mimic those of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the same university’s School of Engineering and Applied Science are working to develop a type of “blast badge” to affix on the uniforms and helmets of soldiers in combat. The invention was inspired by the delicate beauty of the butterfly.

To finish reading, fly on over to "Butterflies on the Battlefield".