How Insects' Legs Can Improve Man-Made Materials

In an effort to improve materials used in aviation and medicine, a team of Irish researchers is studying the legs of certain insects. Some features that appear to contribute to the legs' sturdiness don't actually do so, they found, while others that would be expected to weaken the legs don't have that effect. These null results provide fresh insight into the surprising ways that nature works. But the new understanding also has the potential to contribute to applications of engineering materials ...