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Old 04-16-2009, 01:16 PM   #7 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by winkosmosis View Post
Birds have feathers because you can't grow smooth plastic sheets
Bats, pterodactyls, dragonflies, and more, all with wings that are arguably smooth "plastic".

Borrow a stereo microscope, and take a good look at the small-scale structure of a feather. Then try to figure out how to build something with the strength/weight ratio of a wing primary feather out of a smooth plastic sheet...
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