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Engineering & MachinesBiomimicry

The Train That Copied a Bird

Japan's bullet train borrowed its nose from a kingfisher

Japan's fastest train kept upsetting the neighbors with a bang it made in tunnels. Who fixed it: a physicist, or a bird?

You'll find out

  • Why tunnels made fast trains go bang
  • The bird that enters water quietly
  • How engineers tested a beak

Why it matters

Borrowing from nature is a real engineering method, and this train is its best-known success.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 130 · Zone 15

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