We should use this amazing mechanism that's inside a grasshopper leg

Also, the hinge from an overhead cabinet! That's like the last mechanism too. The sponsor is Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni. Use code SCIENCE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/science

This video is all about storing energy slowly and using it quickly, but there might be interesting instances of the opposite as well. For example, when winding a mechanical clock, you are storing energy quickly and then using it slowly. The purpose there is to allow the energy to be released over the coming week so that you don't need to apply energy continuously to keep it going.

The linkage you are thinking of is called an over-center mechanism and they are used everywhere! Some common examples would be vice grip pliers, toggle latches, and clamps.

Okay so never in my entire life have I been able to snap my fingers due to inadequate explanations of what I'm supposed to even be doing and then at the age of 42 a single Steve Mould explanation has me doing it first time. What a world we live in.

Click or Snapping beetles are a good example of the elator mechanism

Says calling it a catapult would be confusing and shows a trebuchet. 🤔

Mantis shrimp: offended

The mechanism you're describing is an "over-center" one with a spring (or any elastic deformity in one or more of the parts that effectively acts as a spring). The tension or compression can be applied an many ways. An elastically compressible cam shape, or an elastic bit that a solid cam shape rides against, can be made to work. Vice grip pliers, all manner of electrical switches with a snap action, toggle style latches, ring binders, old-school skeet launchers, some folding sofa-beds, etc. use this type of mechanism.

You've explained all these concepts in physics better in a 20 minute video than my profs did in a 12 week university course.

Hi Steve. An example of the mechanism you showed can be found in the human body. The "tensor fascia lata" originates from the pelvic bone "the iliac crest" and inserts onto the outer side of the knee. It is a long thick fascial structure that is tightened by a small muscle originating from the pelvis called "the tensor fascia lata". This muscle's function is intriguing, as it spans and controls two major joints -the hip and the knee-, and operates as a joint extensor when these joints are in extension, and a flexor when these joints are at 20 degrees or more of flexion. It effectively operates as a locking mechanism for the hip and knee to allow us to stand without having the spend too much energy through the major muscles -glutes and quads-. Its resistance to motion follows the same pattern of change that you highlighted in your hinged joint with an elastic band, and is least effective at 20 degrees of flexion.

The last mechanism reminds me of staplers -- when you open them up to refill them, there is a similar mechanism with a hinge and a spring.

There are two animals you need to know about. As impressive as the speeds in air are, moving fast underwater is even more difficult. Pistol Shrimp - Able to kill small fish with a jet of cavitating water fired out of a specialized claw. This is so fast it produces shrimpoluminescence. Mantis Shrimp - Similar to the pistol shrimp, except the mechanism of energy storage is a hyperbolic/saddle shaped plate. They also have uniquely high color vision.

Here in Western Australia we have the "trigger plant". Evolved to trap insects for pollination or some species for consumption. The stamen and style of the flower are fused into a column, which can look like a club. The column is slowly pulled back under the flower and "locks in place, when a insect lands on the flower and touches the trigger hairs the column is released and strikes the insect where it is stunned and releases previously collected pollen for fertilization or trapped to be slowly dissolved for food. The strike is one of the fastest movements in the plant kingdom, taking as little as 15 milliseconds.

I noticed as a kid the best way to catch a grasshopper was to get it right after it landed, as it seemed to take a second or two to get itself ready to jump again. It would then jump half cocked, only going a short distance, making the follow up quite easy.

2:56 The irony of saying that calling a slingshot a catapult is a little confusing when showing a trebuchet and calling it a catapult is too rich. Love your videos.

what i like about this channel is how succinctly the information is delivered without any of the pretentiousness that this type of channel always have. he presents the information extremely smoothly and coherently without trying to make himself the star of the show and that's a quality i sincerely can only wish to strive for...

Ballistic Seed Dispersal (ballochory) - cress pods, touch-me-nots and others, tension is stored in a 'just barely stable" state in the pod wall, the smallest disturbance tips the balance and a huge elastic release of force expels the seeds.

THE KNEE! The mechanism can be found in our knees. The force of the rubber band is the gravitational force on our upper body. This way we don't need much energy standing upright. Also, this is the reason why the toggle mechanism is called 'knee lever' in German :)

The hinge mechanism shown around the 12 minute mark is quite similar to a motorcycle kickstand. It uses a fairly strong spring to keep it in the upright position, as you wouldn't want it coming down while riding. But pushing the kickstand down will eventually find a new stable position where it will stay down all on its own, but give it a little tap backwards and it will release and swing all the way to its upright position. And of course when fully down its actually canted forwards so the weight of the bike also holds it in place securely. Also, I'm glad you mentioned clicking or snapping your fingers. That was on my mind for some time there, lol

14mins in.. this arrangement used a metal catch on wooden box lid to keep it shut. Or sometimes used as principle mechanism of a "Toggle clamp" to hold down wood working pieces.