The eastern bluebird isnt simply beautiful to look at.
Its feathers also feature a unique structure that could revolutionise sustainable applications such as batteries and water filtration.
Specifically, the brilliant blue of the birds wings isnt the result of colour pigmentation.
This web link structure inspired researchers at ETH Zurich to replicate this material in the lab.
The researchers experimented with a transparent silicone rubber that can be both stretched and deformed.
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Phase separation is a common physics phenomenon weve all witnessed in our everyday life.
A notable advantage of this method is that the material remains scalable.
In principle you could use a piece of rubbery plastic of any size.
However, youd then also need correspondingly large containers and ovens, added Rico.
The product is still a long way from being ready for market, she said.
While the rubbery material is cheap and easy to obtain, the oily phase is quite expensive.
A less expensive pair of materials would be required here.
Perhaps DeepMindsdeep learning toolcould be of service.
The full study is published in the journalNature Materials.
Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou
Ioanna is a writer at TNW.
With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.
