1 Million Spiders Make Golden Silk

BURNING MAN · 09-23-2009, 11:04 PM

Quote:

A rare textile made from the silk of more than a million wild spiders goes on display today at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

To produce this unique golden cloth, 70 people spent four years collecting golden orb spiders from telephone poles in Madagascar, while another dozen workers carefully extracted about 80 feet of silk filament from each of the arachnids. The resulting 11-foot by 4-foot textile is the only large piece of cloth made from natural spider silk existing in the world today.

“Spider silk is very elastic, and it has a tensile strength that is incredibly strong compared to steel or Kevlar,” said textile expert Simon Peers, who co-led the project. “There’s scientific research going on all over the world right now trying to replicate the tensile properties of spider silk and apply it to all sorts of areas in medicine and industry, but no one up until now has succeeded in replicating 100 percent of the properties of natural spider silk.”

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$$kneel-B4-me$$ · 09-24-2009, 05:46 AM

im not afraid of anything on this planet, except spiders. I hate them, not enough to kill everyone i see, but, enough to look like a big girly man if i walk into a thick web. gives me chills just thinking about it. I dont trust them, although they can be very interesting on-line or behind glass. in real life...fuck that! I'm out! great story though burning man.

kidflash2008 · 09-24-2009, 09:31 AM

I take it the picture of the man holding the spiders probably does not help your phobia.

Interesting story, and a natural source for some very strong materials.

banannabell · 09-25-2009, 06:39 AM

awww the spiders are so pretty. I want one!!! Reminds me of one I saw walking home at 4:00 in the morning, I thought it was a mouse. I love spiders as long as they don't bite me.

kidflash2008 · 09-25-2009, 09:41 AM

The only bite to protect themselves. If one leaves them alone, they will leave you alone.

Miskreant · 09-25-2009, 02:58 PM

We have an infestation of Black Widow spiders where I live in California. They are everywhere. I spray daily to kill them, and they're still around.

I hate spiders. I wish we could eliminate the species forever.

kidflash2008 · 09-26-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miskreant

We have an infestation of Black Widow spiders where I live in California. They are everywhere. I spray daily to kill them, and they're still around.

I hate spiders. I wish we could eliminate the species forever.

The species is vital to insect control. Crops and homes would be destroyed by them if spiders weren't around to eat them.

I think the eight legged ones are cool, and consider a spider in the house good luck (unless it is a black widow!).

09-24-2009, 05:46 AM	#2
$$kneel-B4-me$$ Investigator Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 148	im not afraid of anything on this planet, except spiders. I hate them, not enough to kill everyone i see, but, enough to look like a big girly man if i walk into a thick web. gives me chills just thinking about it. I dont trust them, although they can be very interesting on-line or behind glass. in real life...fuck that! I'm out! great story though burning man. __________________ Dark for fear of failure, an inner gloom as wide as an eye and fermenting roiling hate, death grip in my veins.. unveiling rancid petals flowering forth foul nector, the space between a blink and a tear... Death blooms

09-25-2009, 06:39 AM	#4
banannabell Investigator Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: all over Posts: 150	awww the spiders are so pretty. I want one!!! Reminds me of one I saw walking home at 4:00 in the morning, I thought it was a mouse. I love spiders as long as they don't bite me. __________________ "Think you've seen it all? Think again. Outside those doors, we might see anything. We could find new worlds, terrifying monsters, impossible things. And if you come with me... nothing will ever be the same again!" The Doctor:

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09-24-2009, 09:31 AM	#3
kidflash2008 Senior Investigator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,699	I take it the picture of the man holding the spiders probably does not help your phobia. Interesting story, and a natural source for some very strong materials.

09-25-2009, 09:41 AM	#5
kidflash2008 Senior Investigator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,699	The only bite to protect themselves. If one leaves them alone, they will leave you alone.

09-25-2009, 02:58 PM	#6
Miskreant Junior Investigator Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 32	We have an infestation of Black Widow spiders where I live in California. They are everywhere. I spray daily to kill them, and they're still around. I hate spiders. I wish we could eliminate the species forever.