This is Bird Note.

When we get out of the ocean after a swim, we reach for a towel to dry off and keep from

getting cold.

But penguins don't have that luxury, and many are in much colder waters.

It's only recently that scientists have begun to unravel how penguins can live in freezing

water without their feathers freezing.

They studied the Gen 2 penguin, which lives in frigid Antarctic waters.

Examining the penguin's feathers, with an electron microscope, revealed their extraordinary

structure at a tiny scale.

Gen 2 penguin feathers have tiny pores that trap air, making the surface water repellent.

And the penguins coat their feathers with a special oil from the pre-england near the

base of the tail.

These two features lead droplets of water to beat up on these water repellent feathers

in tiny spheres, balanced with minimal contact on the feather's surface.

The scientists believe this peculiar shape of water droplets delays freezing.

Gen 2 penguin feathers may even provide a model for human technology.

Airplanes face a similar challenge of avoiding ice build-up.

But by learning from penguin feathers, engineers could attempt to design a wing surface

that naturally repellent water.