Scientists recently discovered what makes geckos stick to walls and ceilings, and figured out how to duplicate the effect, see http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/8679 .

How about adhesive bandages that used this effect? Stick tightly as long as needed, then just run a magnetic or electric field over it to withdraw the nanotubes and the bandaid comes right off!
-- rmd6502, Aug 16 2005

link mentioned above http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/8679
rmd6502: you can add as a link by yourself [Ling, Aug 16 2005]

Nanotubes might be a leetle expensive for use in bandaids, but hey, you never know - maybe it'll be the PostIt technology of the 21st century...
-- DrCurry, Aug 16 2005


I always thought that it was a static electricity effect. An intermolecular bond is similar to an adhesive bond? Maybe someone could advise.
I don't know how geckos release the grip, or if they can release all contact at all. I've seen them jump off the wall (or fall, at least). The releasing would be the trickiest part, I think.
-- Ling, Aug 16 2005


There is nothing in the literature to make it seem likely that a //magnetic or electric field// would do anything to the nanotubes. I think [rmd6502] is just wishing that would work. And it would have to, because a nanotube bandage would really stick.

I'm going to fishbone for poorly-written obvious-application magic-technology with exclamation marks. Which should bring in a few positive votes.
-- baconbrain, Aug 16 2005


keep reading this as easily removed badgers.

according to that link, geckos stick to the ceiling because of their hairy feet; there might be a cheaper material that could imitate this.
-- po, Aug 16 2005


Hobbits?
-- baconbrain, Aug 16 2005


I wonder what would happen if a gecko did a high five with another gecko. Would they stick together?
I found a dead one the other day; next time I will experiment with one of the feet...
-- Ling, Aug 16 2005


Stickle-geckos! A new Escher-ian building toy.
-- coprocephalous, Aug 16 2005


I found a dead gecko the other day, too, in my shoe bin--about a week past its remove-by date. I think its feet didn't stick to the smooth plastic, but I have seem them walk on glass windows.
-- baconbrain, Aug 16 2005


gecko butterflies - tensioning across the skin which opens the fine hairlike surface area of the bandage and allows adhesion. Pulling in the opposite direction crumples the bandage stopping surface area contact. If the plaster had two of these 'sticky' tabs opposing each other then a tension across a cut could formed. Sticky not spikey.
-- wjt, Nov 14 2011



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