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Nanoglue Could Be Used To Make Spiderman Web-Shooters
Stony Stevenson writes "A team of US researchers is using the super-adhesive properties of nanoglue to create a super-sticky web-shooting device much like the comic-book hero Spiderman's. The nanoglue is also being trialed in the production of computer chip circuitry and is expected to miniaturize the process, meaning faster and more powerful chips. From the article: '"If we can find a way to create threads and/or intertwined bundles using the molecules in a scalable fashion, while retaining the adhesive properties, then creating web-shooters similar to Spiderman's is a real possibility," Ramanath said. "There are ways in which molecular threads/bundles can be created in large quantities. The challenge will be, however, to simultaneously engineer adhesion on certain surfaces (and not others, since we want the suit only to form on the desired surface) and also with each other during the thread formation."'"
That's because you are assuming that the web is some sort of solid "rope". However, there are a lot of things on the market today that can expand to many times their original size. For example, there is expanding foam insulation that ends up many times larger than when it was applied. If the web was some sort of expanded "mesh", instead of a solid rope, you could get quite a bit of webbing inside the container.
Reading code is like reading the dictionary - you have to read half of it before you can go back and understand it.
When the Spider-Man TV show was running during the 1970's, there was a toy that was supposed to shoot out the web stuff. The liquid work for stringing a line from the point of one toothpick to the point of another toothpick that dried solid. Didn't do squat against the cat or anything else. I was deeply disappointed that I wasn't able to become a superhero.
Mountain climbers fall suddenly off dangerous slope, traditional equipment fail, spiderman web used in last second and lives saved.
Large fire in the city, building collapsing, people inside, spiderman web used to clear obstacles inside without getting close. Lives saved.
Priorities are great, but human diseases are not everything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y479OXBzCBQ
Check out this part of the article:
This is where the Ramathan's nanolayer bonding comes into play. Because the nanoglue forms such a strong bond and also prevents the copper and silica from mixing, the use of tantalum can be eliminated from the equation, effectively shrinking the space between the two materials from about 15 nanometres to one nanometre.
One nanometer. Current Flash memory can't go below 40 nm right now. If/when Ramathan's discovery gets applied to the industry, it'll be quite a boost for reaching smaller and more energy-efficient computers.
I studied chemistry, moved to micromechanics, and now I suddenly find myself doing 'nanotechnology', because I spend my time making submicrometer-sized structures for a living. For 'nanophotonics', no less! And we make structures that should work in the infrared (typical wavelengths around 1.5 um)! So a better term would be microphotonics. Suddenly every branch of science has the phrase 'nano' slapped to it. What the hell is the difference between nanoglue and normal glue? Hell, I even heard the term 'nanochemistry' once! Is there any other chemistry? I mean, hyping technology to get more money from the suits for research is unfortunately necessary, but this whole nano thing is getting more and more ridiculous.
-- Cheers!
Maybe it also reacts with air as its formed, which means not all of the strand is contained within the can.
(Now I'm sure *some* comic book geek is going to point out how Spiderman used webbing in space or something)