MIT Labs Moves Ahead In Synthesizing Spider Silk

icepick72 writes in with a link to an ExtremeTech article on new methods for creating synthetic spider silk. This material, like lycra in many ways, has a number of unique properties. The MIT lab that created it is being monitored by military elements, keenly interested in applications of this material to front-line technologies. From the article: "The secret of spider silk's combined strength and flexibility, according to scientists, has to do with the arrangement of the nano-crystalline reinforcement of the silk as it is being produced--in other words, the way these tiny crystals are oriented towards (and adhere to) the stretchy protein. Emulating this process in a synthetic polymer, the MIT team focused on reinforcing solutions of commercial rubbery substance known as polyurethane elastomer with nano-sized clay platelets instead of simply heating and mixing the molten plastics with reinforcing agents."

Comments

Re:I love these kinds of statements

[Lord Kano]

But I wish they wouldn't assume that we all have a G.W.Bush I.Q.

Yeah really! Many of us are too smart to graduate from an Ivy League University and be elected President, twice.

LK

Re:GW Bush is not that dumb.

[Fizzl]

Is that supposed to be some kind of proof? I see no connection between Bush being a flaming moron and majority of flaming morons voting him.
Your whole country is composed of half-wits.