#wyss

Marcel Wyss

Dreieckprogression Auf Zwei Diagonalachsen Zentriert

1958/1971

oil and acrylic on board

Geometry of Life

Life is more than just genes and cells; we sometimes forget about the important forces of nature that keep everything physically together. Tensegrity is a term used in biology to describe how tension and compression work together to hold everything in place. Because of tensegrity, living systems can bend and reshape without breaking when they encounter external forces, similar to when a strong building moves during an earthquake without collapsing. Researchers have developed a new model, which combines biological research simulation and computer animation to study the role of tensegrity in living systems. This animation shows tensegrity in action in an individual dynein molecule, found in a sperm cell’s tail. The model has allowed scientists to understand how tensegrity dictates life’s movements at different scales, all the way to the level of individual atoms.

Written by Gaëlle Coullon

Image/video by Charles Reilly / Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University

Image/animation copyright held by the original authors

Research published in ACS Nano, October 2017

Suddenly aware of the youngest Cooper, he can all of a sudden smell her, the sweet, warm scent of coconuts fill his lungs. The calming and motherly voice is in his ears, shushing him like an invisible hand running through his dark locks. Except for the fact that he can’t actually calm down and rest like fake-Betty is beckoning him to. All he can think about was how good he felt earlier. His body begins to tingle again and Jughead loses track of how many time’s he’s resisted the urge to stuff his hand beneath his sweat pants. Betty is the impossible virus that not even the world's smartest computer can’t get rid of. Like an evolving germ resistant to medical advances, Betty is a tick stuck to his skin, sucking away at his blood and no matter how much he tries to pluck her away from him: she’s lodged her way in too deep to the point of return.

The burn and teasing tingles that comes from the center in between his thighs intensify enough to force Jughead to snap his eyes open and yank the pillow from beneath his head. Taking the cushion to smother his face, he let’s out an insufferable yell into the night.

Outside of his window, a dirty white, trotting sheep dog looks up and howls along with him into the darkness.