The way bugs and birds flap their wings may look effortless, but the dynamics that keep them aloft are dizzyingly complex and difficult to quantify. Cornell researchers created a computational model that shows the effect of insects’ morphology on stabilizing their flight. The findings could lead to a new way to understand the evolution of animal flight while also providing a blueprint for designing flapping-wing robots.

By measuring the movement of soundwaves rather than the flow of heat, researchers identified a new intrinsic effect in a quantum material.

Five Cornell faculty members are among 126 early-career researchers across North America who have won 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, including LASSP faculty member Xiaomeng Liu.