clipped from: i.gizmodo.com 
Bugs that skate on water can do it because their feet are "superhydrophobic." Chinese scientists applied a similar coating to a tiny copper mesh boat, and suddenly it could hold three times the weight.
It's actually crazy: The superhydrophobic coating—what the scientists are casually calling "the cooperative effect of hierarchical micro/nanostructures and a low-surface-energy wax coating"—creates a cushion of air around the boat (or the bug's leg), putting an invisible bubble between it and the water. The boat is literally floating on air, while the water tries to touch it but can't. What's creepy is that the coated boats sink immediately when immersed in organic liquids like ethanol and acetone.
