Welcome to Fast Facts with Reasons for Hope. I’m Carl Kerby.
Have you ever noticed how a gecko can run across any surface – even slippery ones without falling? In order to accomplish that seemingly impossible feat, it needs perfectly designed . . . FEET! Yes, every square millimeter of a gecko’s adhesive footpad contains about 14,000 nanoscale hairs called “setae.” There are millions of them, and each one ends with a smaller structure called a “spatulae.”
These amazingly thin hairs allow the gecko to stick to almost anything. The “spatulae” are also self-cleaning so nothing clogs them up to slow the gecko down. Unbelievably, these structures automatically release as the gecko moves so they’re not stuck in one place.
This is a God design that even humans can’t perfectly recreate. We’ve copied it, though, to improve everything from medical bandages to self-cleaning tires.
Geckos are awesome! But they’re just one of God’s amazing creations. There’s even more for next time! Until then, stay bold!
Carl Kerby is the founder of Reasons for Hope and co-creator of the DeBunked apologetic video series. His radio feature, Fast Facts, is heard weekly on VCY America, Saturdays at 9:25 AM Central.
