# Black is white

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-is-white/58088>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 15, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-is-white/58088 "2001-03-15T14:07:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sparky\_xi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Sparky\_xi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky_xi)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-is-white/58088/1 "2001-03-15T14:07:59Z")

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Someone just came up with a crazy argument…so crazy it might actually be true.

“Polar bears do not have white fur. It is really black (or at least fairly dark), but the hair shaft is such a shape as to make the fur APPEAR white”

True or false? If true, why?

If false, then I guess my counter-argument was fine.😃

Cheers,  
Sparky

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-is-white/58088/2 "2001-03-15T14:15:45Z")

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A polar bear has almost clear fur. With all the relfection and refraction, it looks white.

The hairs are like clear filaments.

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-is-white/58088/3 "2001-03-15T14:18:04Z")

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ttp://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa101899a.htm

Found in less than 60 secs at [google.com](http://google.com) searching on “polar bear fur”

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-is-white/58088/4 "2001-03-15T14:19:40Z")

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something cut off the http part …here goes again…

[http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa101899a.htm](http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa101899a.htm)