Biomimicry here we come: Some Swiss and German scientists found out that spiders are using electrostatic forces to be able to walk upside down on almost any surface. The force is strong enough for 170 times their own weight, not that these spiders could go in the ring with Mike Tyson, but still quite impressive.
Here are some possible uses for this technology:
"One possible application of our research would be to develop Post-it notes based on the van der Waals force, which would stick even if they got wet or greasy," said Kesel. "You could also imagine astronauts using spacesuits that help them stick to the walls of a spacecraft - just like a spider on a ceiling."
Do I hear Spiderman costumes? Climbing up walls should be possible. Of course the real deal is the swinging from skyscraper to skyscraper over New York traffic, guess that will take a bit longer. [Via PhysicsWeb]
If everything works out, we will have Janine Benyus who wrote the book Biomimcry present at the November Future Salon. Cross your fingers. Here an aptly titled article about her: The Remarkable Janine Benyus
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