Adventure Ausrama Blog

Can nature beat science? This is an open question but it will be put to the test. Teflon is a material created by scientists. It does not occur naturally. Will it stand the test and be unique, unfettered by mother nature? Geckos can run along many surfaces, whether vertical or upside-down. Their toes are covered in in rows of keratin ridges called lamellae. They are like very fine hairs that attach to just about anything. Students at the University of Akron's Auburn Science Centre tested the ability of geckos to run along vertical teflon sheets. And yes, they could not cross it! By adding water, however, they ran along it quite happily. Apparently, the presence of moisture is a must for geckos to get around. Any surface that repels water is playground for geckos. An adhesive has been developed that will stick things together underwater based on research done on this interesting little creature. Science by Ty Buchanan http://www.adventure--australia.

If you move as fast as superman you may be able to make yourself invisible, but for the ordinary person it is just not possible. Theories exist though that "prove" it is possible to make yourself invisible. Doctor Jensen Li and Professor John Pendry have written a paper which surmises making invisible paint. Such material has to be extremely thin, having a structure smaller than the wavelength of visible light. Scientists have already made a small object invisible by cloaking it in a material comprised of tiny structures. If a material can be developed from nano-sized pieces it could be painted on an object and it would "bend" the light away from sight, i.e., the background would be visible. Such a material has to be made from silica and silicon because variation in interpreting light is necessary. A person viewing a cloaked object would see a mirage of the background. Don't be too hasty though - we are not in the Star Trek world yet. A person would experie