Starfish embryos swim in formations such as 'living crystals', which can inform the design of swarms of self-assembling robots
MIT scientists have observed that when several starfish embryos spin to the surface, they are attracted to one another and spontaneously assemble into organized crystal-like structures. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers, colored by MIT News In the early stages, long before growing their signature appendages, starfish embryos resemble tiny beads, spinning in the water like miniature ball bearings. Now, MIT scientists have observed that when several starfish embryos spin onto the surface of the water, they are attracted to one another and spontaneously assemble into surprisingly organized crystal-like structures. Even more curiously, these collective “living crystals” can exhibit a peculiar elasticity, an exotic property in which the spinning of individual units—in this case, the embryo—creates much larger ripples throughout the structure. The researchers found this rippling crystal configuration can persist for a relatively long period