Gecko Feet Inspire Sticky Tape

Makarand writes "Geckos have the remarkable ability to climb the most smooth surfaces and hang from glass ceilings with a single toe. Their feet are covered with millions of nanoscopic keratin hairs that can exert an intermolecular force - called van der Waals force - producing an adhesive effect on surfaces they walk on. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon have been able to mimic the adhesive ability of Gecko feet with a synthetic material that could find applications in new types of vehicle tires or allowing robots to climb walls. The material is made by using a mould created by a lithographic process and consists of a flexibile and strong substrate covered with 100 million nanoscopic hair each centimetre square. It might take several more years before Gecko tape is made commercially available to the wanna-be Spiderman, but he will have to thank the Gecko for that, not the spider."

Comments

Attention Michael Sims

[Michael's a Jerk!]

After months of reading your rantings without comment and having
finally stated my objections to you and your childish responses over
this last week, I permanently close further discourse with the
following:

Michael Sims, it is my firm belief that you are a dangerously demented
individual with definite dictatorial traits. You are irrational,
abusive, and intolerant of any views other than your own and insist
that only you know who each of us are better than we know ourselves.
I believe you to be psychologically unstable and a sociopath to the
extreme.

I would not be surprised to see you on the evening news or Americas
Most Wanted. You may have some technical skill and even be able to
hold a rational discussion now and then, but these are exceptions to
your character rather than the rule. You should be committed.

That said, your rantings are the stuff trolls are made of, your
opinions carry no weight, and your posts shall be kill filed. I
apologize to all who have had to read his diatribes and my recent
responses to them. We are all the dumber for having experienced Mr.
Sims.

Re:Attention Michael Sims

[SANTA'S LIST]

We are all the dumber for having experienced Mr. Sims.

Having recently reached the end of the Internet on my DSL, I would have to agree 100%. . .

Michael Sims is a rat bastard. Stop burglarizing the turddies, man!

Hmmmmm. . .where did my Post Anonymously button go? A lump of coal for Mr. Sims this year!

ATTENTION SETH

[Anonymous Coward]

SUCK MY DICK AND FUCKING LIKE IT!

I've looked up in our logs and I know it's you, Seth, posting this. You deny it, but I know it's true.

Leave me alone. Stop lying about me.

-- Michael Sims

IF YOU ARE MICHAEL SIMS DOING THIS MODERATION

[Anonymous Coward]

mod me down as troll. Otherwise, mod me down as flamebait.

It's all caused by spatulae

[Anonymous Coward]

Do you know what that means?

SPATULAE CITY. SPATULAE CITY.
WHERE THE ONLY THING WE SELL IS SPATULAES.

-lameness filter killer. not so many caps. it's like yelling. almost like the the guy in the movie.

Twinkie-Weiner Sanwhich

[SANTA'S LIST]

Broads don't belong in broadcasting.

That means YOU Michael Sims!!!

And in other animal inspirational stories....

[WwWonka]

...a roaming hoard of starving rabid emaciated weasels have been inspiring the corporate folks at SCO. ....Oh hold it wait, I don't want to give a hoard of starving rabid emaciated weasels a bad name.