Medicine
Stress Distribution in the Body
Quick fact
The trabecular bone in your femur (thigh bone) is arranged exactly like the support pillars inside a Gothic cathedral—a pattern that directs stress along the most efficient load paths.
Why this is interesting
Every time you stand up, your body handles a force roughly equal to your weight—but that force isn't spread evenly. Why does your shinbone bear more than your ankle, and what happens when the distribution goes wrong?