Pond skaters' feet inspire buoyant new material (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

The feet of pond skaters have helped create a novel super-buoyant material.

Finnish scientists have drawn on the structure of the insect's foot to exploit its ability to let the creature skim across a pond's surface.

The buoyancy of the material has been boosted by making it out of plant cellulose.

The properties that make it float could help it act like a powerful sponge to aid oil spill clean-ups, say its creators.

Five fridges

The material is a type of aerogel - substances in which the liquid has been replaced with a gas but the structural components are left in place. The lightest aerogels are only a few times denser than air itself and have been called "solid smoke".
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17510782




500 g < 1 lb (545 g)

[99th_Monkey]

1. That must be what Jesus had on his feet, when he .. you know .. walked on water.

What a trip. I've always loved those odd little insects, who can just walk on water.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. I tried googling "insect jesus", and most of the images were of water striders. :)

Here's an exception:

[99th_Monkey]

3. Wow - that one's way prettier than the ones I remember.

it's been awhile since I've seen a water-strider <= nice name for them.

wait. is that Jesus or Elvis I see in the patterning?

[FlaGranny]

4. That's some kind of shield bug

or otherwise known as a stink bug. No walking on water for them. He is pretty though. Looks more like Elvis than Jesus.

[krispos42]

6. BugsThatLookLikeHitler.com

[tclambert]

5. Jesus can't do that anymore since He got those holes in His feet.

[99th_Monkey]

7. lol - good observation Holmes. nt