Cuttlefish camouflage inspires new shape-shifting 3D printer

According to the article, what is the main reason that polymers can be used to create a changeable surface?

• Polymers are flexible and can be used to make different materials.

• Rigid polymers can produce differently textured surfaces.

• Flexible polymers can produce soft surfaces.

• Polymers are easy and inexpensive to obtain.

Read the section "Engineering Praises Research As Innovative". What is the meaning of the word "modifiable" as used in the following sentence?

According to Cai, the creation of the method for creating modifiable surfaces has many important applications for engineering different surfaces.

• to disturb or unsettle

• to change the form or qualities

• to stop developing or progressing

• to reconstruct

Read the sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-2].

3-D printing is revolutionizing fields ranging from jewelry-making to jet engine fabrication.

Which of the following sentences from the article BEST explains the meaning of the word "revolutionizing" as used in the above sentence?

• Guttag and Boyce, however, have proposed a number of ways for achieving different types of surfaces from the same sheet of printed material.

• Transformable plastics might well be the next big thing for many new and exciting industries.

• According to Cai, the creation of this method for creating modifiable surfaces has many important applications for engineering different surfaces.

• Now inventors are moving beyond the production of solid, static objects to create materials that can be transformed and manipulated at will.

How did Mark Guttag's study of the camouflage lead him to develop a new 3-D printing method?

• His study of cuttlefish, which can alter the texture of their skin, inspired him to create an adjustable artificial surface.

• His study of cuttlefish highlighted their use of camouflage to alter their appearance and led him to try to recreate it as a printing method.

• His study of the cuttlefish illustrated a use for polymers in 3-D printing.

• His study of the camouflage provided a different use for 3-D printers.

How do the new technologies discussed in the article help create new materials that have more flexible uses?

Make a claim. Support your claim with relevant data or evidence from the article. Then justify why the data or evidence supports your claim.

What was the inspiration behind the creation of the new soft material developed by engineers using a 3-D printer? Provide details from the article to support your answer.