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Phoenix666 writes:

Owls are exceptional predators. In addition to their impressive vision and hearing capabilities, they are also able to fly almost silently. This stealthy flight is thanks to the structure of their wings, which researchers have analyzed and mimicked to develop a prototype coating that they claim could significantly reduce the noise generated by wind turbines, computer fans and airplanes.

Using fine detail microscopy, the researchers from the University of Cambridge in the US and Virginia Tech, Lehigh University and Florida Atlantic University in the US examined owl feathers in fine detail, revealing a downy covering that they say resembles a forest canopy when viewed from above. They also saw a flexible comb of evenly-spaced bristles along the wing's leading edge, while the trailing edge shad a porous and elastic fringe.

"No other bird has this sort of intricate wing structure," said Professor Nigel Peake of Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, who led the research. "Much of the noise caused by a wing – whether it's attached to a bird, a plane or a fan – originates at the trailing edge where the air passing over the wing surface is turbulent. The structure of an owl's wing serves to reduce noise by smoothing the passage of air as it passes over the wing – scattering the sound so their prey can't hear them coming."

Early attempts to replicate this structure included covering a blade with a wedding veil-like material, which, despite the open structure of the material, reduced the roughness of the underlying surface and cut the surface noise by up to 30 dB.

Thank goodness. Alas, too late for those of us who have suffered permanent hearing loss from sitting next to server clusters...