Nature

3Q: Jeffrey Ravel on the French past and our futureWith MIT hosting a global French history conference, a look at the international growth of — and changes in — the field.

Inspiration from a porcupine’s quillsUnderstanding the mechanisms behind quill penetration and extraction could help engineers design better medical devices.

Medical devices powered by the ear itselfFor the first time, researchers power an implantable electronic device using an electrical potential — a natural battery — deep in the inner ear.

Converting plant waste into biofuelsPromising advances using yeast and fungi.

Engineers achieve longstanding goal of stable nanocrystalline metalsMethod developed by MIT researchers could produce materials with exceptional strength and other properties.

Soft autonomous robot inches along like an earthwormFlexible design enables body-morphing capability.

New aircraft capable of fast, accurate and repeatable flightCSAIL's Robot Locomotion Group unveils new computer-controlled aircraft that can perform knife-edge turns.

From yeast, researchers learn how populations collapseFindings could help fishery and wildlife managers monitor their stocks before disaster strikes.

Harnessing nature’s solar cellsPhotovoltaic panels made from plant material could become a cheap, easy alternative to traditional solar cells.

How spider webs achieve their strengthIt’s not just the strength of the silk itself, a new study finds; the silk’s way of stretching and the structure of the whole web help it resist damage.

Speed limit for birdsMIT researchers find critical speed above which birds — and drones — are sure to crash.