On: Why Do We Have Fingerprints?

[jrockway]

Tire treads are mostly to prevent hydroplaning.

(Bicycle tires can't hydroplane, at least not at bicycle speed, and therefore road bike tires don't have treads. Treads reduce the contact area between the tire and the road, resulting in worse traction than a perfectly smooth tire.)

[wglb → jrockway]

Hmmm, so do fingerprints prevent hydroplaning?

[jrockway → wglb]

I have never noticed my fingers hydroplaning, so apparently yes. Mystery solved!

[wglb → jrockway]

The earlier example of grasping a wet wine glass. That would seem to be an example.