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Groovy gecko toes may bring us ice-slip-proof shoes
Geckos are able to maintain a grip on wet surfaces not because their toe pads repel water, but because they attract it. A new polymer, which was inspired by this phenomenon, could find use in shoe soles that keep people from slipping on ice.
An international team of scientists set out to replicate that phenomenon in a human-made polymer, by combining silicone rubber with nanoparticles of a hydrophilic (water-attracting) ceramic known as zirconia. Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer.
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