It’s freezing but that flock of ducks is standing barefoot on an icy pond. Why don’t they have frostbite? Turns out, ducks (any many other birds) have something in their legs humans don’t, rete mirabile. 



<img src="http://brainjunkpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Duck-foot-by-Capri23auto-pixabay-1024x650.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1656" />Brrrrr! image: Capri23auto (pixabay.com)



<img src="http://brainjunkpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Duck-on-ice.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1657" />Rete mirabile at work, warming blood coming in from the feet and cooling blood going out into those webbed toes. A perfect internal heat exchanger for standing on the ice.

It’s freezing but that flock of ducks is standing barefoot on an icy pond. Why don’t they have frostbite? Turns out, ducks (any many other birds) have something in their legs humans don’t, rete mirabile. Brrrrr! image: Capri23auto (pixabay.com) Rete mirabile at work, warming blood coming in from the feet and cooling blood going out into those webbed toes. A perfect internal heat exchanger for standing on the ice.

It’s freezing but that flock of ducks is standing barefoot on an icy pond. Why don’t they have frostbite? Turns out, ducks (any many other birds) have something in their legs humans don’t, rete mirabile. 



Brrrrr! image: Capri23auto (pixabay.com)



Rete mirabile at work, warming blood coming in from the feet and cooling blood going out into those webbed toes. A perfect internal heat exchanger for standing on the ice.

103: Mysterious Duck Feet

Brain Junk is an off-the-wall, totally unbelievable but true podcast where Amy Barton and Trace Kerr shake up science & history in the hunt for answers to questions you never knew you wanted to know. We bring you the inside scoop on things like: Can goldfish drive? How do whales not drown while eating? Who had the first prosthetic eye? 
We cannonball off the question high dive every other Tuesday -- those of you in the front seats, bring your ponchos. We're out to flood your brain.

Comedy

Science

History

Natural Sciences

Brain Junk is an off-the-wall, totally unbelievable but true podcast where Amy Barton and Trace Kerr shake up science & history in the hunt for answers to questions you never knew you wanted to know. We bring you the inside scoop on things like: Can goldfish drive? How do whales not drown while eating? Who had the first prosthetic eye? We cannonball off the question high dive every other Tuesday -- those of you in the front seats, bring your ponchos. We're out to flood your brain.

Brain Junk is an off-the-wall, totally unbelievable but true podcast where Amy Barton and Trace Kerr shake up science &amp; history in the hunt for answers to questions you never knew you wanted to know. We bring you the inside scoop on things like: Can goldfish drive? How do whales not drown while eating? Who had the first prosthetic eye? 
We cannonball off the question high dive every other Tuesday -- those of you in the front seats, bring your ponchos. We're out to flood your brain.

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103: Mysterious Duck Feet

103: Mysterious Duck Feet

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