How to puff a fish
Schedule
Tue, 10 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC+00:00Location
StoryhouseLive | Chester, EN
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The “puff” of a pufferfish activates a fantastic set of inflatable armour that is made from the most unlikely materials. When threatened by a predator, pufferfish gulp in water or air to inflate three times in volume, while unfurling sharp spines that transform the streamlined fish into a prickly sphere. While pufferfish are famed for their silly appearance when inflated, surprisingly little is known about how their armoured skin works. How can skin as soft as Lycra be studded with spines as hard as porcelain, and repeatedly inflate, deflate, and coordinate spine rotation – all without tearing itself apart?
Dr Ariel Camp and Dr Rachel Tan are using x-ray videos, computer animation, and digital models to discover how pufferfish puff. And together with engineers and roboticists, they're exploring how pufferfish can inspire new, shape-morphing materials and machines.
Join us to hear more about this fascinating research.
Doors open at 7 and talk starts 730 🐡
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Where is it happening?
StoryhouseLive, 1 Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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