Biology
The Biomechanics of Tongue Projection in Chameleons
Quick fact
A chameleon's tongue can accelerate from rest to 6 meters per second in 20 milliseconds, reaching accelerations up to 100 times the force of gravity—a feat made possible by storing elastic energy in collagen fibers, not by muscle contraction alone.
Why this is interesting
Imagine striking at a fly 30 centimeters away—your hand would need to move faster than a Formula 1 car's acceleration. That's exactly what a chameleon's tongue does, and it does it in just 20 milliseconds.