#royalsociety — Public Fediverse posts

💁🏻‍♀️ TIL: Asa Barber’s team at the University of #Portsmouth found that common #limpet #teeth are five times stronger than #spider #silk, making them the strongest known natural material.

Their goethite nanofiber #protein composite can withstand pressures comparable to turning #carbon into #diamond and could inspire synthetic materials.

👉 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spider-silk-loses-top-spot-natures-strongest-material-snails-teeth-180954346/

#snails #science #biomimicry #nature #spiders #nanotechnology #goethite #biology #engineering #royalsociety #animals #wildlife #mollusks

💁🏻‍♀️ TIL: 🛩️🪰 Male #dragonflies engage in aerial dogfights to defend territory, using simple visual rules like fighter pilots.

Researchers in the #UK used stereoscopic cameras to reconstruct 3D flight paths of the scarlet Trithemis aurora dragonfly. The #insects pull up to 6 Gs and compete for tail chase positioning rather than intercepting like they do with prey.

👉 https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/07/dragonflies-maneuver-like-fighter-pilots/

#flight #biomechanics #animals #science #nature #biomimicry #drones #research #royalsociety #arthropods