Large oceangoing creatures, like whales and seals, keep warm with thick layers of blubber. But smaller mammals like beavers and otters have a different method of insulation: Their dense fur, which traps warm air bubbles to separate their body from cold waters. MIT engineers have devised a wetsuit featuring a similar hairy layer made of rubber to insulate divers and surfers.
The researchers looked at beavers and otters because the small mammals stayed warm while remaining nimble and agile, key traits for wetsuit material. Their pelts also offered clues for how to keep surfers warm while submerged yet quickly shed water when they pop up on their boards.
via Engadget
October 6, 2016
