According to the latest issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A — and yes, that’s the journal’s real name — researchers at the School of Engineering at the University of California, Merced, have figured out how it is that hippos can stand in the hot sun all day without getting a sunburn. And no, it’s not the wide brim hats. It turns out that hippo sweat contains microscopic structures that scatter light, protecting them from sunburns. The stuff also acts as an antiseptic and insect repellent, and in a pinch, makes a good carpet cleaner, hors d’oeuvre and, thanks to its red color, a good nail polish top coat. They hope to figure out how to duplicate and sell it but they need to do something about the name. Tiger Balm and Gorilla Glue work. Hippo Sweat could be a hard sell.