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Octopuses Show Scientists How To Hide Machines in Plain Sight (axios.com)
If you want to learn the art of camouflage look no further than octopuses. Just watch this
famous video that shows a diver slowly swimming up to a clump of rock and seaweed, only for part of that clump to turn white, open its eye, and jet away, squirting ink behind it. Materials scientists and engineers have fallen under the octopuses' spell. From a report: Scientists have engineered a material that can transform from a 2D sheet to a 3D shape, adjusting its texture to blend in with its surroundings, per a new study published today in Science. They mimicked the abilities of an octopus, which can change both shape and color to camouflage. This is a first step toward developing soft robots that can hide in plain sight, robotics expert Cecilia Laschi writes of the research. Robots that can camouflage may one day be used in natural environments to study animals more closely than ever before or in military operations to avoid detection, she writes.
One would think they prefer to be known collectively as octopi.
WRONG
Usage
The standard plural in English of octopus is octopuses. However, the word octopus comes from Greek and the Greek plural form octopodes is still occasionally used. The plural form octopi, formed according to rules for some Latin plurals, is incorrect
One would think a pedant would be aware that the word octopus originates from Greek and wouldn't use Latin pluralization rules on it.
https://www.merriam-webster.co...
But who am I kidding? Pedants are rarely aware of anything other than their desire to make themselves feel smart by correcting others, even when they're wrong to do so.
Uh-oh. Yes octopuses can change their skin texture using muscles under the skin.