[debunked] *tap tap tap*
from fossilesque@mander.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz on 21 Jun 13:23
https://mander.xyz/post/32532080

Debunked here sopuli.xyz/comment/17362730

#science_memes

threaded - newest

faizalr@fedia.io on 21 Jun 14:01 next collapse

Subhanallah.

ohellidk@sh.itjust.works on 21 Jun 14:03 next collapse

Nice hair, dude!

burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de on 21 Jun 15:13 collapse

And we’re all jealous of woody the woodpecker on this glorious summer day.

Dadifer@lemmy.world on 21 Jun 14:07 next collapse

That’s got to feel weird as fuck

TrousersMcPants@lemmy.world on 21 Jun 16:09 collapse

Woodpeckers would probably think it feels weird for us to have a tongue that just goes down your throat

Dadifer@lemmy.world on 21 Jun 16:16 collapse

Perspective

Deme@sopuli.xyz on 21 Jun 14:37 next collapse

IIRC this theory was debunked some time ago by a study. If you think about it, any dampening within the skull would lessen the force of the pecking and the bird would have to hammer away harder.

Edit: Link to a study

socsa@piefed.social on 22 Jun 16:29 collapse

Not trying to contradict the study, but integrated force and impulse are different. You can apply the same force over a longer period of time and lower the impulse. This is why a boxer wearing a glove can actually deliver more total energy without breaking their own hand - the energy transfer is more complete because the greater surface area and longer impulse and more elastic collision. This means that you are more likely to experience a concussion, whereas with a bare fist, broken bones and torn ligaments are more likely to absorb a significant amount of that total energy.

Deme@sopuli.xyz on 22 Jun 17:30 collapse

Impulse is the integral of force over time, but I get what you’re after.

When pecking at a tree, the maximum force exerted is what pushes the wood beyond its breaking point. That maximum force can be increased by increasing the impact energy as a whole (wasteful and costly) or shortening the impulse. A woodpecker isn’t trying to do soft blows to shake some branches, it’s trying to shatter a small portion of the trunk, much like someone looking to shatter their opponents nose would choose bare fists over boxing gloves.

highduc@lemmy.ml on 21 Jun 15:04 next collapse

Reminds me of a joke I’m going to attempt to translate:

  • Why do woodpeckers have beaks?
  • So they don’t smash their heads against the tree.
iheartneopets@lemm.ee on 22 Jun 13:21 collapse

That made me chuckle, thanks for posting it. Kinda reminds me of a joke-phrase in American English that goes “If a frog had wings it wouldn’t bump its ass when it hopped.”

apotheotic@beehaw.org on 22 Jun 16:33 collapse

If my grandmother had wheels she would have been a bike

felixwhynot@lemmy.world on 21 Jun 15:17 next collapse

I mean… tongue bones?

nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org on 21 Jun 18:52 next collapse

All woodpeckers are just really good at functioning with chronic brain damage.

EpicFailGuy@lemmy.world on 21 Jun 22:06 next collapse

ayyyy boo, what that tongue do?

Venator@lemmy.nz on 21 Jun 23:18 next collapse

Oh I thought they’d experience more than 1000 grams of force whilst pecking 😜

baggachipz@sh.itjust.works on 22 Jun 12:51 collapse

He’s an instigator!