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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Buggles"
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UNDERWATER BUBBLE BUGS... THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. THESE INSECT SCUBA--OR "SCU-BUG"--DIVERS BREATHE UNDERWATER, BY LIVING OFF A BUBBLE SURROUNDING THEIR BODIES. CERTAIN SPECIES HAVE DEVELOPED THIS UNIQUE PERSONAL-BREATHING MECHANISM AS A WAY TO SEARCH FOR FOOD IN THE DRINK--OR EVEN TO HIBERNATE DOWN THERE. THE BUBBLE ITSELF--OR, SHOULD WE SAY, "BUGGLE"--IS AN INGENIOUS WORK OF NATURE; IT'S REALLY KIND OF AN EXTERNAL LUNG. TINY, WAXY HAIRS WORK TOGETHER TO REPEL WATER AWAY FROM BREATHING HOLES, AND TO TRAP A THIN LAYER OF AIR; OXYGEN IS EXTRACTED FROM THE WATER--ALLOWING THE BUG TO STAY UNDER FOR INDEFINITE PERIODS. DIVE-DEPTHS OF THE LITTLE BUGGERS HAVE--FOR THE FIRST TIME--BEEN CALCULATED BY RESEARCHERS AT M-I-T. HOW LOW WILL THEY GO? BECAUSE OF AVAILABLE SUNLIGHT, FOOD SOURCES, AND NUMBER OF UNDERWATER PREDATORS, USUALLY NO FARTHER THAN MAYBE SEVERAL YARDS. BUT, ACCORDING TO THE STUDY, IF THEY WANTED, THEY COULD GO AS DEEP AS ABOUT 30 YARDS, BEFORE THE PRESSURE COLLAPSES THEIR BUBBLES. THE BUBBLE CONCEPT COULD SOMEDAY PROVIDE OXYGEN FOR FUEL CELLS IN AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES. YOU MAY BE THINKING, "HEY, A BUBBLE MIGHT BE A NOVEL WAY FOR HUMAN SCUBA DIVERS TO BREATHE." IT'S BEEN TRIED: IT WOULD TAKE A SURFACE AREA IN SQUARE YARDS LARGER THAN AN AVERAGE CONDOMINIUM. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV--OR ON THEIR PODCAST.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
