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The mantis shrimp is armed with two appendages called dactyl clubs that can accelerate from the body at over 50 mph to bludgeon and smash prey – yet they appear undamaged afterward. “Think about punching a wall a couple thousand times at those speeds and not breaking your fist,” said David Kisailus, UCI professor of materials science & engineering. “That’s pretty impressive, and it got us thinking about how this could be.” Kisailus lab / UCI