The Quest for the Perfect Tool

• Turner Falls, Oklahoma

  • A rare waterfall that grows outward due to travertine deposition instead of eroding backward.
    
  • Formed by spring-fed Honey Creek flowing through Ordovician limestone, creating massive travertine deposits.
    

• Pe'ePe'e Falls, Hawai'i (Big Island)

  • ~80 ft falls in downtown Hilo, part of the Wailuku River flowing between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
    
  • Carved into 10,000-year-old lava flows with subsequent flows creating the Boiling Pots — vertical and horizontal lava tubes.
    
  • Extremely dangerous, especially after storms — known as the deadliest water in Hawai'i.
    

• Cataratas do Iguaçu, Brazil/Argentina

  • Largest waterfall system in the world, spanning the Argentina-Brazil border.
    
  • Name means "Big Water" in Guarani.
    
  • Upstream from the Itaipu Dam, which generates most of Paraguay’s electricity.
    
  • Itaipu — the 3rd largest hydroelectric plant globally and 2nd in power output.
    

• Bonus Waterfalls Mentioned:

  • Cascata delle Marmore, Italy – Ancient Roman-engineered waterfall.
    
  • Natural Falls - West Siloam Springs, OK
  • Devil’s Kettle, Minnesota – Mysterious waterfall where water seems to disappear underground.
    

Fun Paper Friday

• What can spacecraft learn from cats?
• Zhang, Li, et al. "Analysis of Cushioned Landing Strategies of Cats Based on Posture Estimation." Biomimetics 9.11 (2024): 691.

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