Rare Spider Silk

[WhosZena]

Pretty amazing..
They spent four years collecting a million spiders.
Started putting strands together and found out it had this bright golden colour.



http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/spidersilk/?src=e_h

For its weight, spider silk is stronger than steel, but—unlike steel—it can stretch up to 40% of its normal length. Scientists are trying to produce this intriguing material artificially on a large scale for possible uses on the battlefield, in surgery, for space exploration, and elsewhere.

Seems like it could be the next super material.

[BLAHBLAHJAH]

The silk isn't rare, just this human artefact is. There's a whole family of spiders that produce 'golden orb webs' strong enough to catch bats and birds. I used to have a 'pet' one of these spiders I let live in the corner of my kitchen, her name was bernard


*Not actual picture of bernard, sadly lost as good as all my old pics of my bugs :<

Is a beauty though! Been in love with spiders since I was a wee bastard. There's loads of cool properties about spider silk though, for a start bacteria can't grow on or around it so it doesn't really degrade. Humans are genetically modifying mammals to produce the proteins required for the synthesis of spider silk to make things such as artificial tendons

Can't find any decent pictures on the internet and all my nerdy spider books are stored elsewhere, but there's some cool macro shots showing why a spider's web is sticky and capable of trapping things based on the elasticity of stretching out a coiled structure on impact within a bead of glue

Here's another classy bit of use of a spider's silk

[magma]

This thread is so fucking money (spider).

MORE SPIDER SHIT

[WhosZena]

The silk isn't rare, just this human artefact is. There's a whole family of spiders that produce 'golden orb webs' strong enough to catch bats and birds. I used to have a 'pet' one of these spiders I let live in the corner of my kitchen, her name was bernard


*Not actual picture of bernard, sadly lost as good as all my old pics of my bugs :<

Is a beauty though! Been in love with spiders since I was a wee bastard. There's loads of cool properties about spider silk though, for a start bacteria can't grow on or around it so it doesn't really degrade. Humans are genetically modifying mammals to produce the proteins required for the synthesis of spider silk to make things such as artificial tendons

Can't find any decent pictures on the internet and all my nerdy spider books are stored elsewhere, but there's some cool macro shots showing why a spider's web is sticky and capable of trapping things based on the elasticity of stretching out a coiled structure on impact within a bead of glue

Here's another classy bit of use of a spider's silk

I should have said that..
Spiders are one of the few insects that always fascinated me as well. Even though I get scared.
Pet spider hey, I swear Bernard's a boys name.

[BLAHBLAHJAH]

I should have said that..
Spiders are one of the few insects that always fascinated me as well. Even though I get scared.
Pet spider hey, I swear Bernard's a boys name.

Haha indeed! I had a girl cat called winston too
Back in my nerdy days this comment would've boiled my blood:

Spiders are one of the few insects

Spiders are one of the few insects

Spiders are one of the few insects

Spiders are one of the few insects

Arachnids But real nice to know they fascinate others! I can hook up you a pet tarantula if you'd be intruiged ha. I've still got the first spider I got, she's about 24 years old now

Ayeeee I used to work going round schools and colleges with a big bag full of bugs and spiders to educate kids, was a real pleasure. Not too sure why I didn't stick with it to be honest. Bit depressing because I'm currently on lousy job seekers and they won't let me take a position at Nottingham uni doing research on spider silk because it's voluntary meaning im unable to look for work. Trauma

Here's a few more lovely looking spiders, really wish I had some of my own pics left, will have to see if I can find an old CD with them on or something


Avicularia versicolor


Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens


Poecilotheria metallica


Heteroscodra maculata


Psalmopeous irminia


Acanthoscurria geniculata

And here's a few cuties

[DRTY]

Spiders make me shit myself.

[karmacazee]

Ain't never seen no blue spiders before, no siree!

Fairplay, I'm such a softie when it comes to spiders. I actually feel guilty when someone uses a duster to get rid of cobwebs. I tend to name the ones that live in my house. The one on the window overhang is called Chicken George.

[WhosZena]

I should have said that..
Spiders are one of the few insects that always fascinated me as well. Even though I get scared.
Pet spider hey, I swear Bernard's a boys name.

Haha indeed! I had a girl cat called winston too
Back in my nerdy days this comment would've boiled my blood:

Spiders are one of the few insects

Spiders are one of the few insects

Spiders are one of the few insects

Spiders are one of the few insects

Arachnids But real nice to know they fascinate others! I can hook up you a pet tarantula if you'd be intruiged ha. I've still got the first spider I got, she's about 24 years old now

Ayeeee I used to work going round schools and colleges with a big bag full of bugs and spiders to educate kids, was a real pleasure. Not too sure why I didn't stick with it to be honest. Bit depressing because I'm currently on lousy job seekers and they won't let me take a position at Nottingham uni doing research on spider silk because it's voluntary meaning im unable to look for work. Trauma

Here's a few more lovely looking spiders, really wish I had some of my own pics left, will have to see if I can find an old CD with them on or something

I apologize You obviously know your spider stuff!
Never knew they could live that long. I think i'll pass on the pet tarantula for now..
But these ones are beautiful.

[magma]

There's a tarantula in London Zoo that's older than me.

[james fox]

aaargh why did i look in this thread

[Wolverine]

aaargh why did i look in this thread

haha im thinking exactly the same, fuck spiders!!

[Coppola]

FUCK this thread. FUCK IT!

[james fox]

i just boiled the kettle and poured it all over my monitor

[DustyBunzzz]

the blue one is sick! the only spiders i cant stand are those horrible house spiders. FUCK THAT

[deadly_habit]

spiders are cool as shit, cept for camel spiders (though technically not a spider)
have up on squishing em and let em roam free in my house since they take care of all the real pests

[fretn]

I'd love to have a huge pet spider that could take me around on his back!
just imagine

[herbalicious]

Me no likey.

[deadly_habit]

I'd love to have a huge pet spider that could take me around on his back!
just imagine

[deadly_habit]

Me no likey.

[feral witchchild]

I know I have no real reason to fear them but something inside me just recoils when I see one.