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Spider Silk Spun Into Violin Strings

Posted by Soulskill on from the peter-parker-in-concert dept.

jones_supa writes "A Japanese researcher wanted to see how spider silk would convert to strings of a violin. Dr. Shigeyoshi Osaki of Nara Medical University used 300 female Nephila maculata spiders to provide the dragline silk. For each string, Osaki twisted thousands of individual strands of silk in one direction to form a bundle. The strings were then prepared from three of these bundles twisted together in the opposite direction. The final product withstood less tension before breaking than a traditional gut string, but more than an aluminum-coated, nylon-core string. This kind of spider-string is described as having a 'soft and profound timbre.'"

6 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Play music by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny

    And catch lunch at the same time! No more starving musicians!

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    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Play music by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 4, Funny

      And catch lunch at the same time! No more starving musicians!

      You want flies with that?

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      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    2. Re:Play music by philip.paradis · · Score: 5, Funny

      Terrible things can happen when people begin to fiddle with nature.

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      Write failed: Broken pipe
  2. The sound by Kohath · · Score: 5, Funny

    They sound like the horrific screams of a thousand terrified flies.

    1. Re:The sound by EdIII · · Score: 3, Funny

      Now that you mention it, I thought I heard something screaming, "Help Meeeee!" in the background.

  3. Meh... by aaronb1138 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Doesn't this researcher know all the materials science industry cares about right now is what you can do with carbon nanotubes? Spider silk is so 90's.

    Man, I feel old.

    (kidding, not trolling. except the old part)