Thought for the month
"There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen"
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. 1870 – 1924
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Cod's Law
Reflective surfaces
polarize light, however a recent
report found that silvery
fish can overcome this basic law of reflection; an adaptation that may help
them evade predators. Researchers found that the skin of sardines and herrings
contains two types of guanine crystal. By mixing these two chemicals, the
fish's skin doesn't polarize the reflected light and thus maintains its high
reflectivity. This helps the fish best match the light environment of the
open ocean, making them less likely to be seen. These non-polarizing organic
reflectors may ultimately find applications with LEDs and low loss optical
fibres.
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