If like me you enjoy getting into the surf, letting the waves wash over you,

maybe even do some boogie boarding or surfing, then you'll know how valuable it is to have a really good wetsuit, especially if it's cold.

And here in the UK, believe me, the water gets cold, really cold.

When you're constantly going in and out of the water, you need something that's flexible and will shed water as quickly as possible when

you're out of the water, but also something that will help you keep warm when you're in the

water.

It's a lot to ask, but this was the challenge, a group of students from the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology in the United States of America, was set, when in 2015 they visited

a wetsuit manufacturer in Taiwan and that's not all they were asked to find a sustainable bio-inspired solution for

Wetsuits a solution inspired by the natural world.

And they did. Hey there, welcome back to 30 animals That Made A Smarter, an original podcast from the BBC

World Service. The podcast about how animals are helping us to solve some really challenging

problems. We've heard some fascinating stories so far.

One of my favorites was Number Six, how Tardigrades, an animal you might never have heard of, let alone seen,

because they are tiny, could hold the key in helping

us to transport vaccines across the globe.

So make sure you hit that subscribe button and you'll get every podcast automatically. In this

number 12, Sea Otters and Wetsuits, we'll be discovering how Sea Otters, which

are probably one of the most adorable creatures out there have inspired a

wet suit design that is both waterproof and warm.

After returning from her trip to Taiwan, Professor Annette Peko Hossoy asked one of her students,

Alice Nasto, to find examples in the natural world that could serve as a design model for warm, dry, streamlined

...