In 2015, about 1.6 million drones were sold in the
U.S. alone. The problem: The more autonomous
unmanned vehicles there are in the air, the higher
the risk of aerial collisions. Since the tiny fl ying
objects could also be misused to mount attacks,
many countries are already working on defense
methods. While Airbus researches signal jammers
and Boeing develops laser guns, a company called
Guard From Above is opting for a natural defense
technique: the hunting instincts of birds of prey.HOW DO
YOU CATCH
A DRONE?
On behalf of the Dutch National Police, the new
company is training eagles to intercept drones in
fl ight and take them to a safe site—with success:
A promo video shows a quadrocopter hovering in
the air until suddenly an eagle swoops down on it,
grabbing it and fl ying off with it. Training the birds
takes a year and, so far, all of the tests have been
successful. In summer it will be decided whether
these feathered drone destroyers can actually be
used in the fi ght against terrorism.miles per hour is the speed
achieved by a bald eagle
as it swoops down. The
3-foot-long bird of prey can
transport prey weighing
up to 30 pounds.
93
The biggest dan
faced by the bird
the extremely fas
moving rotors of t
drones. But eagles
talons are protecte
because they’re ma
of thick keratin.Brainteaser
Solution from the February 2017 issue: Before taking hold of both ends of the rope, the magician need only cross his arms fi rst. When he unfolds his arms without letting go of the cord, a knot is
created. (See the move in action:http://bit.ly/specialknottying)Four children are playing soccer—but not altogether that well. Because a one point the ball flies far past the goal and into the window of a
house, which breaks. No one wants to take the blame for it. Lucas says, “It was Dustin.” Dustin says, “It was Mike.” Will says, “It wasn’t me.”
Mike says, “Dustin is lying.” If only one of the four has lied, then who kicked the ball into the window?PHOTOS: NASA; Bauer Stock; Getty Images (3); http://www.dasGehirn.info – a project of the nonprofi t Hertie Foundation and the Society for Neuroscience in cooperation with the ZKM; Shutterstock; Alamy; PR. ILLUSTRATIONS: NGS; iStock; Fotolia.The solution will appear in the next issue, on stands March 31, 2017.questions&answers