BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China. ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION China research icebreaker Xuelon
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IMAGE: Anna s hummingbird flying in the experimental setup, drinking sugar water from a fake flower. view more
Credit: Photo: Lentink Lab / Stanford University.
The hummingbird is named after its pleasant humming sound when it hovers in front of flowers to feed. But only now has it become clear how the wing generates the hummingbird s namesake sound when it is beating rapidly at 40 beats per second. Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology, Sorama, a TU/e spin-off company, and Stanford University meticulously observed hummingbirds using 12 high-speed cameras, 6 pressure plates and 2176 microphones. They discovered that the soft and complex feathered wings of hummingbirds generate sound in a fashion similar to how the simpler wings of insect do. The new insights could help make devices like fans and drones quieter.