Subscribe now
A barn owl in flight

Giving drones barn owl-like tails may make them more efficient flyers

9 February 2022

The barn owl’s tail has a surprisingly important role to play in making the bird more aerodynamic
shark scales

Sharks’ tooth-like scales help to boost their acceleration rates

27 January 2021

We suspected that tooth-like scales help sharks slip more easily through water, and now we know the effect is most pronounced when the sharks accelerate

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop