The owl is a silent beast, gliding through the woods. The drone is rather less silent — making an irritating buzzing sound that quickly gets it banned from public places.
Now scientists have suggested that drones, as well as wind turbines and planes, could learn something from owls.
By designing an aerofoil with the cross section of an owl wing and the same structure formed by the feathers along its trailing edge, researchers have calculated that they can reduce the noise of artificial wings.
The research is far from the first to show that copying owl wings can help to cut noise. When it goes on a hunt, the flight of an owl can be so quiet that it cannot be heard above the rustling
