Tech & Biz

Spiderman, Spiderman, friendly real-life Spiderman

by Kaitlin | April 27, 2007 at 08:05 am

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First, Kryptonite. Second, life in other galaxies. Now, a real-life Spidey? It's a week of geek's dreams come true 'round these parts.

Nicola Pugno, a 35-year-old researcher at the Polytechnic University of Turin, said he has worked on a form of adhesion for about 10 years that could lead to something like a spider-man suit.

Pugno uses the gecko as a model for the adhesive. Geckos, like Spidey, have fine hairs on their feet that allow them to grip surfaces and to climb. Designing a working Spidey suit? Sounds like the ideal life's work of a comic book fan, right? Um, no.

Despite his work's obvious Spider-Man similarities, Pugno said he has no particular interest in the hit movies and that science is what fascinates him. Science fiction, he said, "leads to nothing."

Now, I won't go on a rant, but the link between science fiction (or speculative fiction for those allergic-to-"sci-fi" types) and actual scientific advancement has been proven over and over again in various permutations since the mid-twentieth century. Leads to nothing?! Dude, you wouldn't be in the news if it weren't for Spidey. Looks like a certain researcher needs a Marvel care package, stat!