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HAVE you ever watched a gecko scuttle effortlessly up a wall and across the ceiling and wished you could do the same? Your daydream has come a step closer to reality now that scientists in California have begun to work out how to make a material coated with synthetic gecko hairs.

If engineers could create a material that matches the nimble lizard’s incredible grip, the applications would be endless. We could make super-grip shoes for athletes and tyres that hold the road better in all weathers, for example. And in Hollywood, actors playing superheroes like Spiderman or Neo from The…

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