Fish, seaweed inspire slippery surfaces for ships

Long-distance cargo ships lose a significant amount of energy due to fluid friction. Looking to the drag reduction mechanisms employed by aquatic life can provide inspiration on how to improve efficiency.

Collecting tiny droplets for biomedical analysis and beyond

In a single sneeze or a cough, as many as 40,000 tiny droplets are forcibly propelled from the mouth and nose into the air. Researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have recently developed a method to collect ...

Don't shuffle on slippery surfaces, researchers say

Biomechanics researchers Timothy Higham of Clemson University and Andrew Clark of the College of Charleston conclude that moving quickly in a forward, firm-footed stance across a slippery surface is less likely to lead to ...

Dual-action 'slippery' catheter fights bacteria

A super-slippery coating being developed at a University of Wisconsin–Madison lab could benefit medical catheters, factory equipment, and even someday, oil tankers.

Insights on fast cockroaches can help teach robots to walk

Using the example of cockroaches, the Cologne-based zoologist Dr Tom Weihmann and his team were able to show that quickly running insects change their gait at mid-speed. This behaviour has previously only been observed in ...

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