How the Venus flytrap snaps up its prey

[seriousstan]

PARIS (AFP) - American and French scientists believed they have explained how one of nature's marvels, the Venus flytrap, snaps shut to snare its victims.

---- cut -----

Scientists have long wondered how the flytrap (Latin name Dionaea muscipula) is able to do this spectacular feat, given that it does not have the nerves and muscles of fast-moving animals.


The answer, according to a study published on Thursday, is tensile strength.


The plant first bends back its rubbery leaves so that they are convex-shaped, rather like half a tennis ball that has been flipped inside-out.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1540&ncid=1540&e=9&u=/afp/20050126/sc_afp/sciencespeciesflytrap_050126193132

[Obviousman]

1. I had some venus flytraps a few years ago

I picked them up at a warehouse store. The were very amazing plants. It always seemed like they were alive.

[seriousstan]

3. If you water and feed them.......they are

[Obviousman]

6. Oops!

well, i meant like a pet.

[masshole]

2. Heard the story on NPR this morning

pretty neat.

[Spinzonner]

4. I presume the Defense Department is now studying this

for possible military applications.

The Carlyle Insurgent Trap has a nice ring to it ....

[oneighty]

8. See my post #5

It has already been done

there is nothing new under the sun.

180

[oneighty]

5. Belleville Spring

A convex metal disk when stressed changes convex from one side to the other exceeding the speed of sound in the process (So I was told) It is used in certain types of bomb firing mechanisms (Russian I think). Also used in the Cricket Clicker.

Trivia from 180

180

[Nihil]

7. Believe that it's the same thing that's used ...

... in the "tamper-proof" lids on food jars.

The product is packed in a partial vacuum so the 'button' in the lid is
concave and stable. As soon as the jar has been opened, the pressure
difference is removed and the 'button' reverts to a convex form that can
be manually clicked between the (now) stable convex form and the (now)
unstable concave form - showing that the jar has been opened at least
once since manufacture and thus may not be safe.

I love the ways that Nature finds to solve problems ...