Looking at this image, you may start wondering what it is exactly: toilet rolls in a factory, the paper stock of a printing company or maybe even a magnified image of a piece of chalk ? Good guess but nothing of the above is true, this picture is an enlarged image of the pelt of a polar bear, made with an electronmicroscope. This 'photograph' tells us why we will never see a polar bear with chattering teeth: the hairs of the fur are hollow on the inside and thus the air will stay inside these cavities and prevent the warmth from escaping simply because air itself is a poor conductor of heat. That same air prevents the hairs of sticking together, so when the polar bear goes out for a swim, he will be able to simply shake the water of his back when he returns for a quick nap. The last benefit of this pelt is the fact that it serves as a natural raincoat because these hairs are covered with an oily like layer on top of them. So when you ask me which coat I'd like to wear when I'm crossing the Alps, you can expect: "Definitely a Jack Bearskin !"
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