Aircraft industry could take tips from penguins

Antarctic birds are superhydrophobic — their feathers won’t freeze

penguin

FRIGID BUT NOT FROZEN  A gentoo penguin chills out in Antarctica. New research reveals that oil and tiny pores prevent water from freezing on gentoo feathers.

Christopher Michel/flickr (CC BY 2.0

A drenched penguin waddling in bone-chilling air seems like a recipe for frozen feathers.