The woodpecker’s ability to protect its head may help engineers build safer cars The birds’ skulls act like helmets, absorbing the shock of impact.
In a head-banging contest between you and a woodpecker, the woodpecker would definitely win. This is because of the woodpecker’s amazing ability to withstand tremendous blows to the head—brought on by their high-speed pecking—without suffering brain damage. 
It’s an ability that has fascinated scientists for decades, and the interest isn’t just academic. If humans could replicate the woodpecker’s impressive anti-shock mechanism, we could vastly improve the safety features in vehicles like cars or airplanes, which can be deadly in the case of a collision.
Scientists have long been aware that woodpeckers have different skulls than other birds, but until now, they’ve had a poor understanding of how the woodpecker’s anatomy actually protects its brain. New research puts us one step closer to unlocking the secret. Researchers from Dalian University of Technology in China used computer tomography (CT) scans of a real-life woodpecker to construct a detailed, digital model of its body.
https://youtu.be/Gc4MPIniGSI
Source: enewsproject.com
