camouflage

Of all the superpowers in the animal kingdom, the squid’s ability to turn invisible is one of the coolest. And now scientists at UC Irvine have managed to recreate that in human cells for the first time, granting them tuneable transparency.

Scientists have shown that the simple zig-zag pattern on the back of the European viper serves three different purposes; it helps it avoid detection; warns predators off if noticed; and can hide the snake's movement if it has to flee.

While we've already seen materials that allow people or objects to hide from heat-detecting cameras, they're typically only effective at one ambient temperature. An experimental new material, however, can be user-adjusted to work over a wide range.

Camouflage allows soldiers to blend into their surroundings, but what if they could adapt to different surroundings in seconds? A team of researchers at Northeastern University has turned to cephalopods in an attempt to uncover their camouflage secrets and see if they can be mimicked.

New Atlas asks Peter Murphy from the University of South Australia a single question as part of our regular One Big Question series: What goes into making a color-changing military tank?

Using a particularly well-preserved fossil with hints of skin pigmentation intact, researchers at the University of Bristol have managed to produce what they call “the most scientifically accurate life-size model of a dinosaur,” and used it to infer the creature’s likely habitat.

Besides having tentacles, squid and octopi are also both known for their color-changing skin. Well, soft-bodied robots may soon also share that attribute, thanks to research being carried out at Cornell University.

What with having to do testing on public roads, carmakers don't have the luxury of keeping their products hidden until launch like other manufacturers. Instead, they try to camouflage their prototypes as best they can. Ford has revealed some of the newer methods it is using to do so.

Researchers from the University of California at Irvine are developed a stick-on covering that could let soldiers hide from infrared light. It utilizes the same protein that's found in squids' color-changing skin.

Scientists have long marveled at the squid's ability to sense the color of its surroundings, and then instantaneously change its own skin coloring in order to blend in. One of the latest studies has resulted in a color-changing display that could improve LCD technology.

A new device developed at the University of Houston can automatically sense its surroundings and blend into them in a matter of seconds, imitating the behavior of squids and other marine creatures.

Military vehicles that change color ... could such a thing be possible? Well, it's certainly a step closer to reality. Scientists have created a solution that changes color when exposed to light, then changes back when the light is removed.