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Thread ID: 121730	2011-11-09 16:45:00	Geckel Tape?	SurferJoe46 (51)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1242698	2011-11-09 16:45:00	Remember those TV commercials that showcased the bonding power of Krazy Glue by featuring a construction worker dangling from a steel beam? Well, scientists have now developed a tape capable of the same kind of feat and — get this — it can be used over and over again, up to a thousand times. Researchers all over the world have long been fascinated with the seemingly death-defying gecko lizards and their real-life spidey feet. So much so that they’ve sought to make materials that mimic the sticky effect. For instance, scientists at Northwestern University have created geckel, an adhesive that combines a gecko-inspired material with a synthetic adhesive modeled after the glue-like material found in mussels. However, a team led by Stanislav Gorb at the University of Kiel may have figured out a way to one-up all such previous efforts. The invention they came up with is similar to scotch tape, but instead of using a glue coating, which erodes over time, the bonding strength comes from a design that resembles the tiny split hairs at the bottom of gecko feet known as setae. These structures enable geckos to scurry across ceilings because at the tip are spatula that can flatten out to mold itself to whatever terrain it comes in contact with. This generates an electric force that attracts molecules to each other, which scientists refer to as Van der Waals forces. The result is a tape that’s at least two times harder to dislodge than a flat tape. And since it doesn’t rely on a separate adhesive coating, a piece of tape won’t leave sticky residue, works in wet environments, and will last for through many uses. To demonstrate the clinging power of the material, researchers applied a piece that measured less than 8 inches by 8 inches to a flat horizontal glass surface and attached a handle from which one of their members used to hang from the ceiling. i.bnet.com	SurferJoe46 (51)
1242699	2011-11-09 20:36:00	The ad that showed downunder for a similar product used two solid cylinders of metal with smooth ends. One cylinder was attached to a crane and the other cylinder to a harness that was fitted to a live elephant. The two cylinder ends were then glued together and the elephant hoisted into the air. Can't remember the name of the glue, but it quickly became colloquially known as "Elephant Glue" - bizarre, since you couldn't really use it to fix your broken elephant... If this new tape "can be used over and over again, up to a thousand times", yet "at least two times harder to dislodge than a flat tape", how does one remove it to reuse it?	johcar (6283)
1242700	2011-11-09 21:58:00	Gecko remover?	SurferJoe46 (51)
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