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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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[-] Fetus@lemmy.world 31 points 2 days ago

Big deal, I have explosive craps all the time.

[-] watson387@sopuli.xyz 30 points 2 days ago

Have you ever spray-farted someone's face off?

[-] watson387@sopuli.xyz 16 points 2 days ago

Nah man. If you can do that, we're good. You don't make an enemy of someone with that type of skill...

[-] dalekcaan@feddit.nl 7 points 2 days ago

I'm under court order not to answer that question.

[-] General_Effort@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

Ahh. But have you evolved your tailbone into a pilot light?

[-] Fetus@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

Not yet, ask me again in like a million years.

this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2025
644 points (98.8% liked)

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