1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey brain Stuff 2 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbaum. Here a few creatures are surrounded by as 3 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: much myth and mystery as the owl. Sometimes they're marked 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: as ominous, portance of death and hardship, sometimes symbols of 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: wisdom and prudence. From ancient texts to modern fantasy movies, 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: owls have captivated us with their fierce hunting capabilities, striking appearance, 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: nocturnal habits, and near silent power of flight across the globe. 8 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: Legends developed around them. Some Hindu cultures associate the owl 9 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: with the goddess Lakshmi and consider it a symbol of 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: luck and prosperity. The Greek goddess of wisdom Athena, offered 11 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: special protection to the owl as her favorite feathered friend. 12 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: As a result, many owls lived the acropolis. The stealthy 13 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: owl was also seen as protector of Greek armies. Owl 14 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: imagery often decorated warrior's shields, and some said that seeing 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 1: an owl before a battle signaled a triumph to come. 16 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: The Dakota Hidatsa have also viewed the owl as protectors 17 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: to warriors, but others saw owls as predictors of death. 18 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: But lore has it that the hoot of an owl 19 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: announced the death of Julius Caesar, and several Southwestern American 20 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: native cultures associate owls with ill omens and their calls 21 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: with impending death. Today, let's look at one of the 22 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: factors that makes owls so interesting their silent flight. While 23 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: it adds to owl's mystique, this superpower of sorts serves 24 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: a very practical purpose. It helps them sneak up on 25 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: their prey. It's the design of owl's wings and feathers 26 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: that allows them to fly in almost absolute silence. The 27 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: two things that cause the most noise when birds fly 28 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: are the flapping of their wings and the noise of 29 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: turbulence as they move through the air. That is the 30 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: sound of air flowing chaoo over and around their wings. 31 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: Owls have broad wings with large surface areas that help 32 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: them glide through the air without flapping very much. Less 33 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 1: flapping makes less noise, and the owl's feathers work to 34 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: reduce turbulence. An owl's primary feathers, which are the long 35 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: ones forming the tip of the wing, are serrated like 36 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: a comb on their leading edge that's the edge facing 37 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: forward as they fly. This comb like design breaks down 38 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: turbulence into smaller currents called microturbulences. Then, the opposite trailing 39 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: edge of each primary feather has a tattered fringe shape 40 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,839 Speaker 1: that muffles the sound of air flowing over the wing 41 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: and shifts the angle at which the air flows. These 42 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: soft feathers allow air to pass through, which helps eliminate noise. 43 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: Some reachers think that as the owl flies, these feathers 44 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: may also shift sound waves created by the owl's wing 45 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: to a higher frequency that prey can't hear. The owl's 46 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: secondary feathers, which are the shorter ones that run from 47 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: the midwing to the shoulder, are made up of soft 48 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: fringes that reduce turbulence behind the wings. The trailing feathers 49 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: on the back end of the wing are also tattered 50 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: in shape, and the rest of the wing and legs 51 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: are covered in short, downy feathers. As the owl flies, 52 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: the trailing fringe in tattered feathers breaks sound waves over 53 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: the wings as the air flows over them. The downy 54 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: feathers absorb any remaining noise created in flight that's above 55 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: two thousand herts, thus eliminating most sounds that owl's potential 56 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: prey can hear, So the secret is in the wings. 57 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: But does this noise reducing design have a place in 58 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: your next airplane flight? Engineers are always in search of 59 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: ways to improve aircraft technology, and nature inspires the greatest innovations. 60 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: Sometimes called biomimicry. Researchers have looked to the design of 61 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: owl's wings to reduce use the noise created by aircraft 62 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: while keeping takeoffs energy efficient. For example, some proposed to 63 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: the possibility of creating retractable fringe to mirror owls trailing feathers, 64 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: helping reduce turbulence and noise, and others think that applying 65 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: a velvety coating on landing gear will absorb noise just 66 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: as the downy feathers do on an owl's legs. Airports 67 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: like O'Hare and Heathrow have strict noise restrictions on aircraft's takeoff. 68 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: If engineers find a way to reduce noise, more flights 69 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: could take off every day, and revenue could increase. For 70 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: an industry struggling with fuel costs and other problems, the 71 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: wise old owl may provide some solutions. Today's episode is 72 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: based on the article how can Owls Fly? Silently on 73 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: howstuff Works dot com, written by Sarah Winkler. Brain Stuff 74 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,479 Speaker 1: is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with house toffwork dot 75 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 1: com and is produced by Tyler Klang and Ramsey Young. 76 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: Four more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 77 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,359 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.