(Via Robot Wisdom)   Maybe you UC folk know these people?
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-08/lcc-sph082202.php
Working at Lewis & Clark College, the University of California at Berkeley,
the University of California at Santa Barbara, and Stanford University,
the interdisciplinary team:
* confirmed speculation that the gecko's amazing climbing ability
depends on weak molecular attractive forces called van der Waals forces,
* rejected a competing model based on the adhesion chemistry of water
molecules, and
* discovered that the gecko's adhesive depends on geometry, not surface
chemistry. In other words, the size and shape of the tips of gecko foot
hairs--not what they are made of--determine the gecko's stickiness.
To verify its experimental and theoretical results, the gecko group then
used its new data to fabricate prototype synthetic foot-hair tips from two
different materials.
"Both artificial setal tips stuck as predicted," notes Autumn, assistant
professor of biology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore. "Our
initial prototypes open the door to manufacturing the first biologically
inspired dry, adhesive microstructures, which can have widespread
applications."

No, hits=-29.2 required=5.0
	tests=AWL,BUGZILLA_BUG,FORGED_RCVD_TRAIL,KNOWN_MAILING_LIST,
	      NO_REAL_NAME,T_NONSENSE_FROM_00_10
	version=2.50-cvs

from localhost (jalapeno [127.0.0.1])
	by jmason.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2324616F03
	for <jm@localhost>; Tue, 10 Sep 2002 11:22:35 +0100 (IST)
from jalapeno [127.0.0.1]
	by localhost with IMAP (fetchmail-5.9.0)
	for jm@localhost (single-drop); Tue, 10 Sep 2002 11:22:35 +0100 (IST)
from listman.spamassassin.taint.org (listman.spamassassin.taint.org [66.187.233.211]) by
    dogma.slashnull.org (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g89JowC29985 for
    <jm-exmh@jmason.org>; Mon, 9 Sep 2002 20:50:58 +0100
from listman.spamassassin.taint.org (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by
    listman.redhat.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 645BB40D88; Mon,  9 Sep 2002
    15:44:54 -0400 (EDT)
from int-mx1.corp.spamassassin.taint.org (int-mx1.corp.spamassassin.taint.org
    [172.16.52.254]) by listman.redhat.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8C00340D88
    for <exmh-users@listman.redhat.com>; Mon,  9 Sep 2002 15:36:46 -0400 (EDT)
(from mail@localhost) by int-mx1.corp.spamassassin.taint.org (8.11.6/8.11.6)
    id g89Jafm01952 for exmh-users@listman.redhat.com; Mon, 9 Sep 2002
    15:36:41 -0400
from mx1.spamassassin.taint.org (mx1.spamassassin.taint.org [172.16.48.31]) by
    int-mx1.corp.redhat.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with SMTP id g89Jafl01946 for
    <exmh-users@redhat.com>; Mon, 9 Sep 2002 15:36:41 -0400
from whatexit.org (postfix@whatexit.org [64.7.3.122]) by
    mx1.redhat.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with SMTP id g89JKO105999 for
    <exmh-users@redhat.com>; Mon, 9 Sep 2002 15:20:24 -0400
from joisey.whatexit.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by whatexit.org
    (Postfix) with ESMTP id 590BBB1 for <exmh-users@redhat.com>;
    Mon,  9 Sep 2002 15:36:37 -0400 (EDT)
Message from Rick Baartman <baartman@lin12.triumf.ca> of Mon,
    09 Sep 2002 12:21:42 PDT <20020909191229.EBB3DB1@whatexit.org>
    <200209091921.g89JLgt02406@lin12.triumf.ca>
From exmh-users-admin@redhat.com  Tue Sep 10 11:22:35 2002