Who really cares how a Gecko climbs, falls, or recovers except maybe for Warren Buffet and his GICO insurance company? I mean come on, can’t folks put their efforts to better use than this nonsince?

Thanks for the gecko information. I am 60 years old and did not know these facts about the gecko. I really enjoyed reading this information and hope you will provide further information about other animals.

MMmmmm so delicious, I love to eat Geckos, Rarr!
http://sternbears.wordpress.com

Interesting . . . How did this save me money on my insurance?

Some of the most important discoveries in science have come from doing “basic science” — research that has no immediate practical application, but is interesting from a scientific point of view, and may result in useful products some time in the future. (http://www.seed.slb.com/en/scictr/watch/fullerenes/index.htm).

Each piece of research builds on research done before it resulting in a collective understanding of our world that no one person could ever achieve on their own. Additionally, results from such basic research often spur entire industries (and fortunes) that produce products that we rely on in today’s modern world. Wikipedia defines Serendipity as “the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.” For an interesting list of serendipitous discoveries in science, check out this wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity).

If you’re wondering where this particular research might go and has gone you can check out the RiSE project http://bdml.stanford.edu/twiki/bin/view/Main/ClimbingRobot
which used gecko feet as motivation for their research

Reaserch such as this may appear “a waste of time & money” but like someone else said…these are springboards to larger concepts and uses.

Many products you use today were “accidents” or the result of research just like this.

: )

@Dave
A few items revealed through frivolous research:

Microwave cooking
Penicillin
X-Ray Photography
DNA (via wrinkly peas)

As to the humble gecko, robots exist that are used to scour, paint and inspect ship’s hulls. They are very slow because they either use magnets or vacuum pumps to adhere to vertical surfaces. Using a derivative of the gecko adhesion principle would mean rapid movement and a ’sticky’ that doesn’t wear rapidly or require frequent replacement.

I’m personally enjoying life in the 21st century – without you apparently.

Engineering a robot which resembles the gecko and it’s abilities, would be quite useful and reliable to explore the moon or Mars. Could be an inspiration for future robot design.