The shell of the giant pink queen conch evolved over millions of years into the perfect haven. Now, researchers have probed the mollusk shell’s mysterious inner architecture in such detail that they ...

Engineers looking to nature for inspiration have long assumed that layered structures like those found in mollusk shells enhance a material's toughness, but a study shows that's not always the case.

Giant conches are seldom treated with the respect they deserve. Their impressive shells are prized as holiday souvenirs, but size and aesthetics are only half the story. At the microscopic scale, they ...