November 3rd: Bats vs Moths

Marc Holderied - Professor of Sensory Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Bristol University

For millions of years, bats and moths have been locked in an extraordinary evolutionary arms race.

Bats hunt in darkness using echolocation, sending out ultrasonic calls and listening for the echoes returning from their surroundings and their prey. Moths, in turn, have evolved remarkable ways of avoiding detection. Some can hear approaching bats and take evasive action; others use forms of acoustic camouflage, reducing or disguising the echoes that might otherwise give them away.

But how do you become invisible to sound?

In this talk, we will explore the hidden acoustic world of bats and moths, and discover how scientists can reconstruct what a bat actually “sees” with sound. We will look at the ingenious strategies that have evolved as predator and prey continually respond to one another — and at how studying these adaptations has led to an unexpected technological development.

The extraordinary sound-absorbing structures found in moths are now inspiring new materials designed to absorb sound far more efficiently than conventional approaches.

From bats hunting insects in the dark to the development of next-generation sound absorbers, this is a story of evolution, acoustics and how solutions discovered in nature can inspire new technology.

Join us aboard the MV Balmoral from 7pm for a 7.45pm start. Tour the ship, grab a drink at the bar, and settle in for a revealing evening.
This is a FREE event — arrive early to get a seat.