Woody Woodpecker

Today I was hammering away a special spot on my wall to hang an old movie poster. Being right next to my window, I began thinking about the tiny woodpeckers that speedily peck away new homes for themselves without getting dizzy or suffering brain injuries

It is important for us to protect and nourish our brains whether it be by wearing headgear, eating balanced meals, or getting the right amount of sleep. However, the survival of woodpeckers depends solely on their ability to peck. If they peck an average of 10,000 times a day, how is it that woodpeckers don’t have brain damage?

Well, obviously their brains are different than ours. Their special brain anatomy and the way they peck protects their brains. Instead of delving into their brain anatomy, let’s look at the method they use when pecking.

There is almost no head rotation - each peck is perfect! Head rotation would damage their brains and spinal cords. Also, their little eyes are kept closed. If their eyes remained open, they would come into contact with wood chips and their eyes would fly out of its sockets. Another interesting fact is that the woodpeckers have little fluid surrounding their brains, unlike our cerebrospinal fluid. Therefore, their brains does not easily move around.

Studying the brain anatomy of woodpeckers in more depth can help us better manufacture helmets [its inner foam already mimics the bone structure of woodpeckers].

We can only watch in amazement as woodpeckers meticulously peck away, looking for food and building nests. As for us, it is best we stick to hammers.