this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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The Brachinus crepitans, or bombardier beetle, measures just 2 cm but wields a powerful chemical defense. When threatened, it mixes hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide inside its abdomen, triggering an exothermic reaction that reaches 100 °C. It ejects bursts of corrosive benzoquinones at 500 pulses per second, burning and repelling predators. This precise, repeatable mechanism has inspired research into reigniting gas turbines in aircraft under extreme conditions as low as –50 °C. Its internal valve and chamber system is now studied in chemical engineering and advanced biomimicry.

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[–] NONE_dc@lemmy.world 37 points 1 day ago (1 children)

How does it survives to its own attack?

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 46 points 1 day ago

Simple, it ducks before it shoots, like in the picture. ez