▪ It is lighter than cotton and, however, in relation to its weight, it is more resistant than steel. After decades of studying the silk segregated by spiders constructing circular fabrics, biologists are fascinated with dragline silk. It is the most resistant of the seven types that produce these spiders and the one they use to form the structure of their networks and as a safety thread in their movements. It is stronger and waterproof than the strands that the silkworm secretes, commonly used in the manufacture of tissues.
Reflect: Obtaining synthetic fibers such as kevlar requires the use of high temperatures and organic solvents. The spider, on the other hand, produces silk at room temperature using water as a solvent. In addition, dragline silk has greater resistance than kevlar. A web of this thread enlarged to the size of a football field could stop a jumbo in mid-flight.
It is not surprising that the resistance of this substance has aroused so much the interest of researchers. Aimee Cunningham writes in the Science News magazine that "scientists dream of exploiting such property in articles ranging from bullet-proof vests to suspension cables for bridges".
But copying this natural fiber is not easy, because its manufacture takes place inside the body of the spider and the process is still not understood perfectly. "The fact that there are so many brains in the world trying to reproduce what spiders do naturally in the basement of our homes makes us aware of our smallness," says biologist Cheryl Y. Hayashi in the Chemical & Engineering News magazine.
What do you think? Is the spider, along with its tenacious silk like steel, the product of chance, or is it the work of an intelligent Creator?
