Pressed against a surface, the molecules of these ridges attract those of the surface via an electrostatic phenomenon called the van der Waals force.

Surfactants with ionizable heads are key to creating a repulsive force that counteracts the van der Waals attraction and thus stabilizes a soap film.

To create nonsticky adhesive materials, geckos showed the way to van der Waals force, the sum total of attracting or repelling forces between molecules.