God created the first zippers (Velcro, too)

This is amazing. In a recent study of bird feathers we examined a pheasant feather with our microscope. The dark area on the left is the shaft of the feather (the central, plastic-y “spine.”)  The dark vertical columns jutting off the shaft are called barbs. The tiny eyelash looking fibers jutting off the barbs are called barbules. All the barbules on one side of each barb are plain or straight; all the barbules on the other side are hooked. Do you know how when you pinch your thumb and index finger together at the top of the feather and run them down toward the bare quill at the bottom the neat little hairs get all ruffled and messy looking? You are separating all those “hook-and-loop” connections. When you run you fingers back the other way everything becomes smooth and straight again as the barbules “zip” back together. One reason a bird preens is to zip its feathers back up to ready them for flight. That is just one tiny view of one feather on one type of bird…think of the millions of wonders that exist among all the creatures of earth and all the galaxies of space.

O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Ps 104:24