Camouflage expert Roger Hanlon of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is co-recipient of a $6 million grant from the Office of Naval Research to study and ultimately emulate the ability of some marine animals to instantly change their skin color and pattern to blend into their environment. Hanlon and his team will perform experiments with cephalopods to determine how opsin molecules receive light and aid the animal's visual system in adjusting skin patterns for communication and camouflage. The project team's engineers will focus on emulating cephalopod skin using new metamaterials – materials that blur the line between material and machine.
This project is really the epitome of what I love about science. I truly feel that one of the best applications of science is to learn from biology to improve our lives. Granted, while this is going to be used for military applications, I could see an application for instant color change in domestic life. I mean, if the technology became cheap then it could be used for paint or clothing. And in general, I think this type of research is amazing.
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