Aerodynamic drag

Phys Org.com (Douglas, Isle of Man, June 24) -- Detailed studies of aerodynamics have shown that while a ball with a dimpled surface has half the drag of a smooth one at lower speeds, at higher speeds that advantage reverses. So the ideal would be a surface whose smoothness can be altered, literally, on the fly – and that’s what an MIT team has developed. John Rogers, an Illinois professor of materials science who was not involved in this work, says, “It represents a delightful example of how controlled processes of mechanical buckling can be used to create three-dimensional structures with interesting aerodynamic properties.” Also: Daily Mail (London, June 30).