It’s been 113 years since the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic sank, and engineers still have hopes of someday creating unsinkable ships. None more so than a team at the University of Rochester that recently present a new “superhydrophobic” design that could lead to more resilient ships, floating platforms, and renewable energy innovations. The design is special for several reasons, not least of which being its use of normal aluminum tubes rather than some expensive alloy or material. The process also replicates how the diving bell spider traps air to breathe when hunting underwater, meaning it works off a proven concept. “The mechanism is similar to how diving bell spiders trap an air bubble to stay buoyant underwater or how fire ants form floating rafts with their hydrophobic bodies.