How Bizarre
Nature-inspired camouflage changes its looks with light
Thin, flexible material steals the color-shifting capabilities of cephalopod skin
MATERIAL IN MOTION By mimicking the structure of cephalopod skin, materials scientists create an ultra-thin, flexible material that can copy light patterns in the environment.
J. Rogers/Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Scientists have swiped the secrets of certain sea creatures’ cloaking skills to create their own camouflaging material.
Some cephalopods, such as cuttlefish, can mimic colors and patterns in their environment using three-layered skin. Each layer, researchers previously found, has its own role: light-detecting cells at the skin’s lower surface trigger muscle cells in the middle to adjust pigment cells at the top.
