What smart hazmat suits and Sonora cactus skins have in common

(American Physical Society) Motivated by observations of desert flora and fauna, researchers in Arizona began experimenting in the laboratory to characterize cactuses' microscopic 3D epidermal structure at dry and wet times of the year. They apply the lessons in wettability -- the study of how droplets interact with solids -- to engineering surfaces for industrial applications, and will present the discoveries from this Sonoran wettability research at the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics 71st Annu...