Birds are amazing. But considering how much of my life I've spent watching and studying them, I've thought surprisingly little about just how incredible feathers are. Talking to engineers who still can't build anything to match a feather gave me a whole new understanding and appreciation for these absolute marvels of evolution.
My latest for Smithsonian magazine:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/articles/engineers-are-racing-to-harness-dazzling-magic-feathers-they-havent-solved-mystery-yet-180986759/