Scientists are working to create “gecko tape,” a substance that could be used to create gloves that would enable humans to scale walls:
Weak molecular forces, called van der Waal forces, attract any two touching objects to one another. These forces are so small they usually go unnoticed. When a human puts his hand against a wall, for example, it doesn’t stick because only a small fraction of the hand touches the wall – perhaps several thousand points of contact.
The feet of geckos have billions of microscopic hairs per square inch, with anywhere from several to thousands of split-ends touching any surface. The resulting molecular forces are strong enough to defy gravity.
Full Story: Christian Science Monitor: Spider-Man’s sticky power in human reach
(via Stare)