Geckskin Does Some Heavy Lifting
For years, biologist have been amazed by the power of gecko feet, which allow these 5ounce lizards to produce an adhesive force roughly equivalent to carrying nine pounds up a wall without slipping. Now, a team of polymer scientists and a biologist at UMass Amherst have discovered exactly how the gecko does it, leading them to invent Geckskin, a device that can hold 700 pounds on a smooth wall.
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