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Synthetic Gecko

Invention Of The Day

Synthetic Gecko is adhesive that works like gecko feet: thousands of tiny, short hairs exhibiting a collection of “weak” intermolecular forces (van der Waals) which are enough to stick the surface to whatever is put before it.

This follows some Gecko Tape fabricated in 2003 by University of Manchester academics after the 2000 van der Waals forces discovery by University of California academics.

A gecko’s vdW pads are self-cleaning, too, which compares favourably with my own memories of wrestling lengths of ordinary sticky-tape to a standstill.

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