Polar Bear-Inspired Fabric Traps Sunlight for Warming Effect.
Engineers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have created a new insulating fabric that mimics how polar bears survive extreme cold. The fabric has a base layer made from nylon coated with a polymer known as PEDOT, which has excellent heat-retaining properties, and a top layer covered in transparent polypropylene threads that help conduct visible light towards the nylon base layer to warm it up. The material is 30% lighter than cotton and can keep you comfortable at temperatures 10 degrees Celsius colder than cotton. The material's warming properties are completely dependent on harnessing light.