Researchers from the University of Mons in Belgium have uncovered a novel mechanism by which starfish move, a discovery that could influence future robotics. Contrary to previous assumptions, starfish locomotion is not dictated by the number of their hundreds of adhesive tube feet in contact with the ground, but rather by the duration of each foot's adhesion. This synchronization of adhesion, achieved without a central brain, allows starfish to move at speeds of approximately ten centimeters per minute, enabling them to hunt slow-moving prey like sea urchins and shellfish. Astonishingly, starfish can also overcome their own weight, maintaining their speed even when heavily laden by altering their adhesion dynamics rather than increasing ground contact points, a phenomenon that defies typical biological weight-speed relationships and could inspire the development of intelligent adhesive materials and robots.