"Nature's Amazing Machines" Shows The Marvels Of Natural Engineering

New exhibition opens at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on June 16

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Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Jun 06, 2017, 10:26 ET

DENVER, June 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine if you could swim 60 miles an hour, your punch could break through aquarium glass or your ears could act as air conditioners. From the inside out, every living thing is a machine built to move and survive. In the new exhibition "Nature's Amazing Machines," opening at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on June 16, the whole family will discover the marvels of natural engineering.

Giraffe Visitors will get a chance to see some of the amazing evolutionary adaptations of this animal. A large heart and complex circulatory system keep this mammal alive. © Chris Burt / Shutterstock
Giraffe Visitors will get a chance to see some of the amazing evolutionary adaptations of this animal. A large heart and complex circulatory system keep this mammal alive. © Chris Burt / Shutterstock
Cheetah Why is the cheetah the fastest land animal? The aerodynamic snout, the long, skinny tail for balance, claws that never retract provide extra traction, and a spine that curls under for extra reach. © The Field Museum, Z95153_32Bd
Cheetah Why is the cheetah the fastest land animal? The aerodynamic snout, the long, skinny tail for balance, claws that never retract provide extra traction, and a spine that curls under for extra reach. © The Field Museum, Z95153_32Bd
Pileated Woodpecker A Pileated Woodpecker can withstand a great magnitude of force when pecking. Exhibition visitors will learn why they don’t suffer brain damage. © Nigel Tate
Pileated Woodpecker A Pileated Woodpecker can withstand a great magnitude of force when pecking. Exhibition visitors will learn why they don’t suffer brain damage. © Nigel Tate
Saw Whet Owl Strong talons and sensitive vision make this night predator a hunting machine. But its uneven ears are what give it a unique advantage in total darkness. © Ron Austing | WildNaturePhotos
Saw Whet Owl Strong talons and sensitive vision make this night predator a hunting machine. But its uneven ears are what give it a unique advantage in total darkness. © Ron Austing | WildNaturePhotos
Giraffe Visitors will get a chance to see some of the amazing evolutionary adaptations of this animal. A large heart and complex circulatory system keep this mammal alive. © Chris Burt / Shutterstock Cheetah Why is the cheetah the fastest land animal? The aerodynamic snout, the long, skinny tail for balance, claws that never retract provide extra traction, and a spine that curls under for extra reach. © The Field Museum, Z95153_32Bd Pileated Woodpecker A Pileated Woodpecker can withstand a great magnitude of force when pecking. Exhibition visitors will learn why they don’t suffer brain damage. © Nigel Tate Saw Whet Owl Strong talons and sensitive vision make this night predator a hunting machine. But its uneven ears are what give it a unique advantage in total darkness. © Ron Austing | WildNaturePhotos

Ever wondered how a giraffe's heart pumps blood up its long neck or how a cheetah is so fast? How a toucan stays cool in the jungle or how insects breathe without lungs? The biomechanics of how animals and plants stay in one piece despite what appear to be insurmountable challenges are fascinating. Using their biological pumps, pipes, insulation, motors and springs, these creatures endure extreme temperatures, find food against fierce competition, circulate their own life-sustaining fluids and defend against the forces of wind and water and the pull of gravity.

The exhibition, presented in English and Spanish and free with Museum admission, explains these phenomena with real objects, scientific models and engaging activities.

  • Try pumping "blood" from the heart of a life-size giraffe model all the way up to its brain. 
  • Learn to "fly" using two different types of wings.
  • Explore the mechanics of cheetahs and what makes them the world's fastest land mammal.
  • Try activities to feel the intense grip of a chimpanzee and the strength of a harpy eagle.
  • Discover the stories behind breakthroughs inspired by nature's ingenuity, such as Velcro, wind turbines and chainsaws.
  • Stand in front of a thermal camera to learn how much heat your body loses compared to animals covered in fur, blubber or feathery down.
  • Find out how toucan beaks and fox ears act as radiators to regulate temperature.
  • Consider the complexities of the human gait as you watch a two-legged robot try to walk.
  • Collect animal trading cards, a new one each month during the exhibition's run, while supplies last.

This exhibition was developed by The Field Museum in partnership with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, with generous support provided by the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust and ITW.

For more information, visit www.dmns.org/NAM.

MEDIA CONTACT: Maura O'Neal, 303.370.6407, [email protected]

SOURCE Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Related Links

http://www.dmns.org

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