My friend Natalie asked me a question on Facebook:
How can a spider walk upsidedown on the ceiling?
That’s a great question. Different animals have different ways of sticking to walls and ceilings. Frogs, like the Chinese gliding frog, have sticky pads on their toes that have a sticky glue on them. Insects that can walk on walls and ceilings also have a glue on their toes.
Spiders are different. They don’t have glue on their toes. Instead, they have tiny little hairs on their toes. Here is a picture of the foot of a jumping spider. This picture was taken by a scientist with a scanning electron microscope. It is magnified 200 times.
There is some kind of law of physics that makes the molecules in these little hairs stick to the ceiling like a magnet. Scientists are studying spider feet to see if they can learn how to make things stick the same way that spiders stick to the ceiling. They are trying to make a better sticky note. You can learn more about it at this link.
Thanks for asking the question. Happy birthday, Natalie and Carter!
RSS Feed
Facebook
Twitter
Subscribe by e-mail
Ew. Rayme, you may have just turned me off of sticky notes. I may never touch one again.
Raymie, thank you for the interesting information on how spider feet stick to ceilings through molecular Van der Waal forces. If you choose, you are going to make a great scientist or engineer because of your great desire to understand and learn all you can.
And not too many people know this, but the turtle is also nature’s suction cup. Watch this. You see? It sticks! How ’bout that huh? Ok. What else I got for you?
Today we’re teaching poodles how to fly.
Thank you, Raymie!! 🙂
You’re welcome. It was your birthday present. 🙂