SMRTR Science & EngineeringJun 29, 2026Quartz

15 natural materials that outperform steel — and that engineers are still trying to copy

SMRTR summary

Nature has engineered materials that outperform steel in strength, flexibility, or toughness — and scientists are still struggling to replicate them. From spider silk to nacre (mother-of-pearl) to bone, these biological materials achieve remarkable performance through complex microscopic structures that modern manufacturing can't yet fully duplicate.

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