Octopuses and squid are big brained species that use much of their mental powers to adjust their own appearances. This remarkable ability to camouflage on the fly has inspired the US Office of Naval Research to award $7.5 million to Duke University and two collaborating institutions to learn more about how the animals do it. ...> Full Article
When bees collect nectar, how do they hold onto the flower? Cambridge University scientists have shown that it is down to small cone-shaped cells on the petals that act like Velcro on the bees' feet. ...> Full Article
Nocturnal geckos are among the very few living creatures able to see colors at night, and scientists' discovery of series of distinct concentric zones may lead to insight into better cameras and contact lenses. ...> Full Article
Humans have marveled for millennia at how water beads up and rolls off flowers, caterpillars and some insects, and how insects like water striders are able to walk effortlessly on water. University of Nebraska and RIKEN research into super hydrophobic properties provide hints to researchers to develop these abilities in things like micro-robots, self-cleaning fabrics and other surfaces. ...> Full Article
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