An artist’s rendering of a futuristic plane with morphable wings
AFRL / NASA
An alloy of titanium and nickel is as sturdy as metal however stretches like a rubbery polymer. With some intelligent engineering, it could finally result in applied sciences like shape-shifting plane.
Think about a aircraft with lengthy wings that contract in midair to turn into shorter – and make the craft extra aerodynamic – because it positive aspects velocity. To make this futuristic know-how, engineers would wish a cloth that’s stretchy sufficient to alter form but sturdy sufficient to face up to the weather throughout flight. Xiaobing Ren on the Nationwide Institute for…
