Ultimate camouflage tech mimics octopus in scientific first Scientists have developed a synthetic skin capable of mimicking some of the best camouflage skills in nature that could also have applications in soft robotics and advanced displays. The team from Stanford University created a thin film that can be programmed to alter its apparent texture and color, a feat previously only …
> By adding thin layers of gold ... adaptive architectural facades that modulate their reflectivity in response to environmental stimuli.
I would dearly love to sit in on the meeting where the architect proposes literally gold-painted a building to the client. Still, I'm sure someone will do it.
> I would dearly love to sit in on the meeting where the architect proposes literally gold-painted a building to the client.
Several US state capitol domes are gilded in Gold leaf.
Georgia's gold dome, a statehood symbol, is visible from I-285, I-75, and the downtown connector.
Iowa Capitol's gold domes need to be replaced every 30 years, costing at least several weeks to complete.
The Colorado State Capitol in Denver, whose distinctive golden dome contains real gold leaf.
Charles Bulfinch designed the dome which crowns the Massachusetts State House, but when it was built, the dome was not gold—it was shingled! In just a few years, the dome began to leak in rain and snow, so the company of Paul Revere was hired to cover the dome with copper to make it watertight. Later, in 1872, the dome was gilded with real gold leaf, and, as you know, still glows with gold today.
The Dome of the Rock in the Old City of Jerusalem .... Its outside appearance was significantly changed ...... again in the modern period, notably with the addition of the gold-plated roof, in 1959–61 ...
That's the second reference to Octopussy within 2 hours:
https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2026/01/06/nasa_science_budget_boost/#c_5206814
Octopussy Galore!
> When exposed to water, the film swells to reveal texture and colors independently, depending on which side of the material is exposed
Water ... computer ... fizzle?
BUT useful when responding to the "my laptop stopped working, I have no idea why, it just stopped" call: when exposed to water/coffee/fizzy drinks the machine selectively changes colour, spelling out "glug".
Yeah, seeing how this is closed access top secret stuff, this related paper (News) from Jan 7 (however not fully available either) does show an interesting animated image of the tech, below the octopus ...
But the "a paper" linked in TFA also has some open figures, like "Extended Data Fig. 5" - somewhat available through the right-hand-side "Sections/Figures/References" tab-bar. Nicely, the "Extended Figs" are available in full at the bottom of the article in the "Extended data figures and tables" part. And there are "Supplementary Videos" down there too (mp4) ...
Extended Data Fig. 9 for example shows the James Bond "Flexible photonic skin" camouflage in its full field action-packed gory, yay! ;)
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