Scientists trash the notion that Spider-Man can actually do his act

Even if science is often the sane voice of logic, its denouements are not always welcome. Comic book superheroes, on the other hand, sway the mind with impossibilities that seem perfectly normal, such as the ability of humanoids to accomplish superhuman acts from flying into space, running faster than the speed of light, clinging to or swinging from vertical surfaces and the like. But some contrarian scientists seem to relish pointing out the unlikeliness of their abilities. That certainly appears to be the motivation for a team of zoologists from Cambridge to announce the discovery of the interesting but ultimately irrelevant factoid that Spider-Man would need King Kong-sized hands (43 inches) and feet (size 114) to accomplish his sticky-fingered gecko act — all while ostensibly studying the efficacy of various adhesives for commercial application.

It may be indeed true that heavy creatures like humans — unlike minuscule mites — would need 80% of their frontal body surface to be covered in sticky footpads to execute a Spidey climb. But imagination knows no boundaries — scientific or otherwise. And superheroes are not meant to stick to normal human parameters anyway. Besides, people will believe what they want to. As in several other matters, in the case of superheroes, too, faith tends to trump rationalism.