The Torpedo Boat Stiletto

The cocktail boat.

We describe the inspiration, development, and deployment of a novel cocktail device modeled after a class of water-walking insects. Semi-aquatic insects like Microvelia and Velia evade predators by releasing a surfactant that quickly propels them across the water. We exploit an analogous propulsion mechanism in the design of an edible cocktail boat. We discuss how gradients in surface tension l...

Rocking the Boat: Damage to Eelgrass by Swinging Boat Moorings

Seagrass meadows commonly reside in shallow sheltered embayments typical of the locations that provide an attractive option for mooring boats. Given the potential for boat moorings to result in disturbance to the seabed due to repeated physical impact, these moorings may present a significant threat to seagrass meadows. The seagrass Zostera marina (known as eelgrass) is extensive across the nor...

Thinking with the Coleman Boat

The "torpedo" effect in medicine.

The natural electrical phenomena fascinated humans since antiquity. The electrical discharges produced by the torpedo fish were highly appreciated among ancient physicians as Hippocrates, Scribonius Largus and Galen and were prescribed for headache, gout and prolapsed anus. In the medieval period, torpedo's electrical properties were attributed to occult powers, while Renaissance physicians' an...

On the respiration of Torpedo marmorata.

1. The oxygen consumption of resting Torpedo marmorata was measured using three different methods. The results indicate that this species has a much lower oxygen consumption than other elasmobranchs of comparable size. 2. The gills are ventilated by a mechanism similar to that of other rays, but a relatively small spiracular opening seems to be associated with a more important role of the oro-b...