Feb 1 2016
In a recent episode of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert commented on a discovery made by zoologists from the University of Cambridge that Spider-Man probably couldn't climb walls. After intensive research, the zoologists found that natural adhesives scale in a way that geckos are the largest animals that can stick to walls and climb vertical surfaces.
Stanford engineers to Colbert: Spider-Man is plausible
The researchers highlight that human feet and hands are not large enough to withstand the weight, and almost 40% of Spider-Man’s body would have to be covered with adhesive pads, which will help him climb using the same tactics like that of a gecko.
Elliot Hawkes, a postdoctoral research fellow in mechanical engineering Professor Mark Cutkosky's lab, developed an interest in this concept. Hawkes agreed with the calculations suggested by the Cambridge researchers. He said that the gecko's wall-climbing strategy could be used by humans with well-planned human engineering, followed by equal distribution of an individual’s weight across the sticky pads that are arranged on the individual’s body. In 2014, this concept was demonstrated by Hawkes and his team through the usage of a unique gecko-inspired adhesive, capable of providing a very firm grip and an effortless release, suitable for Hawkes to climb a glass wall just like Spider-Man.
Source: http://www.stanford.edu/