
Hippopotamuses Make Their Own Sunscreen
Japanese researchers isolated ‘hipposudoric acid’ & ‘norhipposudoric acid’ from hippo sweat, which were found to provide antiseptic as well as sun protection benefits, alongside body temperature regulation, for hippopotamuses.

Diamond Plate Progression
Some counterintuitive findings from The Science of Sharp, analyzing the cutting surface of straight-edge razors honed on varying grits of DMT diamond plates.
"Often, results that contradict our intuitive expectations are a key to identifying and improving our deficient understanding."
I use DMT diamond plates to hone the gravers I use with my watchmaking lathe. Anecdotally, I find that finishing to a mirror polish using the extra-extra-fine diamond plate yields an appreciably better finish when turning down a pivot or an arbor. I'd love to see a similar set of SEM images run on a watchmaker's graver, which would be less prone to the plastic deformation conjectured through these results.