@wonderofscience I am a raptor fan, and an owl lover.

This video is beautiful.

Reminds me of this:

The sound of silence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_FEaFgJyfA

(edit: wrong video) 🤦‍♂️

@jesterchen @wonderofscience

Isn't it one of the most mind-blowing things you've ever seen?

If you know anything about the physics of sound, it is almost unrealistic.

Owls are very nearly perfection in nature.

@putnamca actually... I knew quite a bit... majored in fluid dynamics, minored in technical acoustics... years ago. (Sorry, don't want to brag, just put it into perspective.)

This is just beautiful. As you said: mind-blowing. Stunning. Another reason to be very, very scared if it's quiet in the dark. :)

@jesterchen

Brag away - very impressive.

My knowledge came from 10 years of hunting submarines for the U.S. Navy.

The efficiency represented here is insane.

Were I a submarine designer, or an aircraft designer, I would be obsessed with achieving this level of efficiency.

The owl proves that it doesn't break the laws of physics, and that's what blows my mind.

@putnamca But... if you achieved this level, perfected aircrafts and submarines to be perfectly silent... wouldn't that make your job... well... obsolete? 🤭

I believed for years that designs of cars were perfected a long time ago. Then I had a closer look. Then I wouldn't believe my eyes. At least with electric cars they started optimising stuff there (e.g. rims). I always had this one question:

Why don't they stride for their design being perfect? (Yeah, I know: designers...)

@jesterchen

Again, efficiency. It's ironic, but every job a human might have is to obsolete themselves out of that job.

Work should represent a problem, to be solved.

Once it is solved, then that work would no longer be required.

This is one of my best arguments for UBI, in America. It's the only way to advance, without the inefficiency of a market system.

Yes, I am an engineer. 😉