Innovation of the week: Quieter flights

Between TSA hassles, exorbitant baggage fees, and torturously tiny seats, "flying sucks," said Jordan Golson at Wired. But thanks to researchers at North Carolina State University and MIT, it might soon be a whole lot easier to sleep through. Researchers say they can substantially reduce the amount of engine noise inside the passenger cabin by installing an ultra-thin latex membrane over the "honeycomb" of lightweight materials that make up the inside of most modern aircraft. Lead researcher Yun Jing says the membranes "could be installed in existing airplane designs" and ultimately make flying up to 1,000 times quieter than it is today.

Even better, it would only increase a plane's overall weight by roughly 6 percent, a minimal impact on fuel efficiency. With additional funding, the engineers say, the new material "could hit the market in five or six years."

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