Researchers have designed a new kind of adaptive material with
tunable transparency and wettability features - imagine a tent
that blocks light on a dry and sunny day, and becomes
transparent and water-repellent on a dim, rainy day. Or highly
precise, self-adjusting contact lenses that also clean
themselves. The new material was inspired by natural dynamic,
self-restoring systems, such as the liquid film that coats your
eyes - tears. Individual tears join up to form a dynamic liquid
film with an obviously significant optical function that
maintains clarity, while keeping the eye moist, protecting it
against dust and bacteria, and helping to transport away any
wastes – doing all of this and more in literally the blink of an
eye. Animal and dairy scientists presenting at the Lactation
Biology Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona have discovered that
drinking milk at an early age can help mammals throughout their
lives. The presentations focused on epigenetics, or how gene
expression changes based on factors like envir