Wet feet wash away geckos' stickiness
Thursday, August 9, 2012 - 12:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Geckos are famously adept at sticking to vertical surfaces. Their toes are packed with hundreds of microscopic hairs that get close enough to the nooks and crannies of a wall to bring the forces of attraction between atoms into play. With these specialized feet, a gecko's traction is so strong it can hold more than 100 times its weight and even scurry upside-down across a ceiling.