Natural selection has produced a wealth of surfaces that interact efficiently with light. Technological applications abound, from better windows to Stealth

human designs to the structures pro duced by the blind work of natural selec tion. This article continues that tradition by comparing the reflective properties of naturally occurring structures to more recent, human designs. Reflection in Black and White ... The Stealth bomber tries to eliminate the reflection of radar wavelengths completely. Although the wavelengths targeted are different, this strategy is analogous to the way the black leop ard's coat provides camouflage. The pigment in the leopard's coat absorbs most optical light, so little is reflected back or scattered. Since leopards are most active during the night, when there is little ambient light in the optical range, this allows them to blend into the background and lower their chance of detection by potential observers.