The tiny parasitic fly Ormia ochracea may hold the secret to a new type of microphone. Conventional wisdom says that a small pair of sensors can’t be directional, because the time difference of arrivals is too short. Yet this fly can track down crickets despite its ears being mere millimeters apart! This feat is possible because of its unique hearing system, its eardrums are actually fused together to form a tiny seesaw, one that rocks back and forth when sounds come in from the right angle. Researchers from the naval postgraduate school have crafted an electronic version of this hearing system, giving birth to a whole new class of highly directional miniaturized sensors that could see use in electronics in the near future! (Image credit Jpaur Article credit Acoustics.org)