Book 26, Question 28
How did a kingfisher help shape a fast train?
Japan's high-speed trains made a loud boom when they zoomed out of tunnels, because they pushed air ahead like a piston.
An engineer who watched birds noticed that a kingfisher dives into water with barely a splash. Its long, narrow beak slips smoothly from thin air into thick water. Copying that shape for the train's nose made it quieter and faster.