Next time you see an advertisement for a motorcycle rain suit, check out the color. Chances are it will be black or some dark shade of green or gray. This has always been a source of amazement to me.

As a species, we’ve done a pretty good job at inventing some useful devices. But as clever as we think we are, given sufficient time, natural selection will beat us at our game at almost every turn.

Hook and loop fasteners made of spring steel -- similar to Velcro devices but much stronger -- have been developed by researchers in Germany. These fasteners are resistant to chemicals, and can ...