PHEMA, or other adhesives like it, might one day be part of our daily lives. Elliot Hawkes, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, suggests that PHEMA might be useful around the house, especially for hanging up decorations. “Painted drywall is challenging for dry adhesives, due to its slight roughness. This technology could be a nice solution, depending on whether it would discolor your wall," he said in an emailed statement. Hawkes was not involved in the PHEMA study.