The twirling seeds of maple trees spin like miniature helicopters as they fall to the ground. Because the seeds descend slowly as they swirl, they're carried aloft by the wind and dispersed over great ...

What do a hummingbird, a moth, and a maple tree have in common? They all use a similar trick to fly. Okay, okay, a maple tree doesn’t fly. But its seeds kind of do. Maples make those little whirlybird ...

Maple seeds. Most people admire them for being pretty and delicate and for twirling like ballerinas when they float to the ground in fall. But this graceful dance obscures a simple fact: they are ...

The seeds that twirl down from maple treesevery spring can fly as far as a mile, with each wing-shaped seed spinning like a whirligig on the air. Studies have shown that the seed’s whirling, called ...

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. SOUTHAMPTON, N.J. — The seeds that drop from maple trees each fall, whirring ...

Maple tree seeds and the spiraling pattern in which they glide to the ground have delighted children for ages and perplexed engineers for decades. Now aerospace engineering graduate students have ...

Anyone who lives near a deciduous forest knows the joy of the maple seed, or as we called them when we were kids, helicopters. Their single wing spins the seed, slowing its descent — so why shouldn’t ...

Around the summertime, you might often see maple seeds—also known as “helicopter” seeds—twirl and dance in the air before floating to the ground. While they’re fun to play with as a kid, adults are ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Movie courtesy of David Lentink With the help of a two-foot-wide ...

Today's U.S. military often relies on aircraft-size drones costing millions of dollars that operate from airfields or truck-mounted launchers. Tomorrow's soldiers could simply scatter a handful of ...

LATE 1990S, IS ACTUALLY A SIMPLE CONCEPT. IT’S IMITATING NATURE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS OR INVENTING SOMETHING, USING NATURE AS INSPIRATION. NATURE IS THE PATHWAY TO SCIENCE AND INVENTION. HERE AT THE ...