Japanese railway engineers redesigned the bullet train in the 1990s because the original models created a massive, deafening sonic boom every time they exited a tunnel.

A closer look

Japanese railway engineers redesigned the bullet train in the 1990s because the original models created a massive, deafening sonic boom every time they exited a tunnel. Chief engineer Eiji Nakatsu, who happened to be an avid birdwatcher, noticed that the kingfisher bird could dive into water without making a splash due to the aerodynamic shape of its beak. He copied this exact biological design, giving the Shinkansen its iconic elongated nose, which completely eliminated the noise problem, increased the train's speed, and reduced fuel consumption. It is a beautiful story of biomimicry, proving that billions of dollars of corporate research and development can easily be outperformed by just looking at a bird. Humans love to brag about our technological superiority, but at the end of the day, we are just ripping off millions of years of natural evolution to ensure our morning commute is slightly quieter and fifteen percent more energy efficient!