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“To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian.”¹ — George Washington, General Orders, May 2, 1778

Watching PBS: An Imaginary (Evolutionary) Elephant Walk

by Jake Hebert, Ph.D., and Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D.*

“Make believe” are the first two words in the lyrics of Henry Mancini’s 1961 song, “Baby Elephant Walk.” “Make believe” aptly describes “Body Builders,” the third episode in the PBS television series Evolution, which purports to show how billions of years of evolution crafted different animal body forms, with particular emphasis on the elephant.¹

Engineers Learn from Octopus Arms

An octopus can do something engineers still struggle to copy: control eight soft arms with no bones or fixed joints. Each arm can bend, twist, stretch, shorten, and grasp. A recent robotics study puts this challenge in engineering terms. Researchers trained one robotic controller to guide three octopus-inspired soft arms underwater.¹ The study focused on a basic problem—flexible motion works only when sensing, feedback, and control stay connected. The system must detect what the arm is doing, compare that motion with what it is supposed to do, and make corrections.

November Wallpaper

ICR's November 2026 wallpaper is now available for mobile, tablet, and ...More...

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