The work also suggests that geckos have an extremely nuanced way of using gravity to determine how to move, said Duncan Irschick, a biologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. While Stanford scientists have already invented "stickybot," the next generation of sticky robots should incorporate a similar kind of sensory feedback system that, at the very least, senses the angle of the surface beneath the robot. "This is a really nice step forward," Irschick said. "It will give robot scientists some fat to chew." The new study points out just how unique geckos are, Russell added. In previous work, scientists took reptiles on rides in the Vomit Comet, an airplane that goes into free-fall to simulate microgravity in space. "Most lizards and snakes go nuts in microgravity," Russell said. These animals flailed around, desperately seeking contact with something. Only the ones that found their own tails calmed down. Geckos, on the other hand, simply stretched their limbs out like they were skydiving. "It didn't phase them at all that there was no gravity around," Russell said. "The way they read their body positioning is very different from other animals." Related Links: Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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