How have kingfisher birds helped design trains in Japan?

Check this out! Engineers used biomimicry to solve a challenge. Biomimicry is when we copy events or actions that happen in nature. The famous Japanese bullet trains were so fast they caused sonic booms which woke people up. One engineer was a birdwatcher. He watched kingfishers making very small splashes as they dived into lakes. He suggested making the front of the trains pointed to look like a kingfisher's beak. And the problem was solved. The design was more aerodynamic and there were no more booms.

What makes something more or less aerodynamic? Design some paper planes to see what effect the shape has on its flight. Don't forget to make it a fair test and share your results.

So what is a Curiosity Challenge? 

It's time to put your thinking caps on. Where will your curiosity take you as you get stuck in with a science experiment or research challenge? Have fun with biomimicry in action and dig into the facts about some real life STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) experts.