Spiders and Post-it notes..

Spiders are amazing. They are soft, fuzzy and uhm..tasty too. Their silk in their webs is stronger than steel and now they may produce the clue to creating better Post-it notes too! Scientists have been studying the feet of spiders to see how they manage to stick to surfaces. It seems that the molecular force (van der Waals force) that gives them this sticky power can produce an adhesive force of 170 times the spider's own weight. For perspective, this is (to quote from the story) like Spiderman clinging to the flat surface of a window on a building by his fingertips and toes only, whilst rescuing 170 adults who are hanging on to his back!