Unlike natural materials, they are two-dimensional and inherently anisotropic, meaning that they are designed to act in a certain direction. By contrast, three-dimensional natural materials ...

Gaudi, the Barcelona architect, is the supreme example of this, making columns that lean like trees bent by ocean gales. Trees were his inspiration rather than geometry.

RIKEN. "Three-dimensional metamaterials with a natural bent." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 October 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2014 / 10 / 141024082611.htm>.

(Nanowerk News) Metamaterials, a hot area of research today, are artificial materials engineered with resonant elements to display properties that are not found in natural materials. By organizing ...