PLoS Biol December 2017 PMID 29244805

Tongue-driven sonar beam steering by a lingual-echolocating fruit bat.

Wu-Jung Lee, Benjamin Falk, Chen Chiu, Anand Krishnan, Jessica H Arbour, Cynthia F Moss

Mentions

13
Peak: 2 in Sep 2025
across 5 sources since Dec 2021

Extended reach

105,978
potential audience

Total likes

13,411

Video views

104,822

Mentions per month

Dec 2021 – Sep 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News4 articles
  • Facebook3 posts
  • Blogs3 articles
  • YouTube2 videos
  • X / Twitter1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions highlight the intriguing discovery that Egyptian fruit bats can manipulate their sonar beams via tongue movements, drawing attention with phrases like 'how do they do it?' and emphasizing its significance for bio-inspired engineering. The tone balances curiosity and admiration, underscoring the research’s potential influence on technological advancements.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge the novelty and significance of the bats' ability to steer sonar with tongue movements, reflecting general agreement with the scientific findings.

InterestHigh interest

Posts express high curiosity and fascination about the mechanisms, showing strong interest in the biological and technological implications.

EngagementModerate engagement

Some comments delve into details, mentioning phased array technology and drawing parallels to engineering concepts, indicating moderate engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussions imply this research could influence future bio-inspired sonar designs and sensor technology, marking a modest yet meaningful impact.

Abstract in brief

  • The study explores how Egyptian fruit bats that produce sounds by clicking their tongues can quickly and precisely steer their sonar beams without visible physical changes, unlike other animals that use head or ear movements.
  • Researchers found that these bats modify the phase differences in their tongue-driven sound sources, allowing them to steer their sonar beam much like phased array technology in human-made sonar systems.
  • This discovery highlights an interesting similarity between biological sensory mechanisms and engineering principles, showing how these bats efficiently control their echolocation signals in a sophisticated way.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
The African Bioacoustics Community
@AfriBioacoustic · X

Watch your tongue! Lingual-echolocating bats - that produce sonar by clicking their tongues - can switch the direction of the sonar beam without changing their head aim or mouth shape. But how do they do it? Find ut in the full study here: https://t.co/uMdhg3FMHs

Dec 13, 2021 · 1,157 followers View post →

All mentions

The African Bioacoustics Community
@AfriBioacoustic · X

Watch your tongue! Lingual-echolocating bats - that produce sonar by clicking their tongues - can switch the direction of the sonar beam without changing their head aim or mouth shape. But how do they do it? Find ut in the full study here: https://t.co/uMdhg3FMHs

Dec 13, 2021 · 1,157 followers View post →