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Ask anyone what extraordinary powers they\u2019d love to have, and you\u2019re sure to hear \u201cbe able to fly.\u201d\xa0We\u2019ve kind of scratched that itch with airplanes.\xa0But have we gone as far as we can go, or are better flying machines in our future?\xa0And whatever happened to our collective dream of flying cars?\xa0\xa0We look at the evolution - and the future - of flight.\nAnimals and insects have taught us a lot about the mechanics of becoming airborne.\xa0But surprises remain.\xa0For example, bats may flit around eccentrically, but they are actually more efficient fliers than birds.\xa0\xa0\nMeanwhile, new technology may change aviation when self-healing material repairs structural cracks in mid-flight.\xa0\xa0And a scientist who worked on flying cars for DARPA says he\u2019s now working on the next best thing.\xa0\nGuests:\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\n\n\nMerlin Tuttle \u2013 Ecologist and founder of Bat Conservation International. Executive director of Merlin Tuttle\u2019s Bat Conservation and author of\xa0The Secret Life of Bats: My Adventures with the World\u2019s Most Misunderstood Animals. Join his effort and browse his stunning photography at http://www.merlintuttle.com/\n\n\n\nDavid Alexander - Ecologist, evolutionary biologist, the University of Kansas, author of On the Wing: Insects, Pterosaurs, Birds, Bats and the Evolution of Animal Flight\xa0\n\n\n\nDuncan Wass - Professor of chemistry, University of Bristol, U.K.\xa0\n\n\nSanjiv Singh - Research professor, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University\n\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices