Spider Silk Spun Into Violin Strings

A Japanese researcher who specializes in spider silk has used 300 plucky golden orb web spiders to weave silk threads he could turn into violin strings, reports the BBC. Shigeyoshi Osaki used up to 5,000 silk threads to produce each string, twisting them together tightly in a "unique packing structure" to produce strings with "a soft and profound timbre."

Golden orb web spiders produce some of the largest and strongest webs in the arachnid world. Osaki's strings were less strong than gut strings, but stronger than typical aluminum-coated, nylon-core strings. "The violin strings are a novel practical use for spider silk as a kind of high value-added product, and offer a distinctive type of timbre for both violin players and music lovers worldwide," said Osaki. (More spiders stories.)