If you’ve seen an owl fly, you probably didn’t hear a thing. That’s because their skin and feathers dampen sound by absorbing high- and low-frequency flight noise. Inspired by this natural soundproofing, researchers publishing in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces developed a two-layer aerogel that mimics the structures inside owl feathers and skin to mitigate sound pollution. This new material could be used in cars and manufacturing facilities to reduce traffic and industrial noise.