Intricate Spiderwebs

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Hebrews 11:3

When is the last time you wondered at the intricacy of a spiderweb? Have you ever pondered how the spider knows which way to leap, masterfully weaving together strands of silk that are five times stronger than steel? What if you could hear a soundtrack that accompanies the spider as it pulls and spins, leaps and connects? Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced last week that they have collaborated with a Berlin artist and the MIT music department to translate spider webs into music.

Their goal is to better understand how spiders communicate and they began by crafting two-dimensional laser scans of a spider web, then converted those scans into a mathematical model that allows them to recreate the web in 3D virtual reality. By working with the music department to create a somewhat eerie harp-like instrument, they were able to scan the spider as it was weaving its web and then allow the harp to build and intensify according to the spider's vibrations.

"Even though the web looks really random, there actually are a lot of internal structures," MIT engineering professor Markus Buehler explained when he presented the work at the American Chemical Society last Monday. "You can visualize them and you can look at them, but it's really hard to grasp for the human imagination or human brain to understand all these structural details."

A spider builds without scaffolding, instead creating its web into higher levels of complexity as it goes. Buehler compared web construction to a guitar that changes and grows new strings as the structure becomes more complex. A heightened understanding of web building could lead to advancements in 3D printing techniques, as well as an ability to communicate with spiders.

"We're beginning to perhaps be able to speak the language of a spider," Buehler said. "The hope is that we can then play these back to the web structure to enhance the ability to communicate with the spider and perhaps induce the spier to act in a certain way, to respond to the signals in a certain way."

To hear a nine-minute clip that has emerged from Buehler's work, click here: Spider Web Sonification During Construction. While the music itself is rather haunting, I hope you will join me in applauding the scientific minds that continue to turn to God's creation for our most brilliant models of artistry and perfection. What else can we find in the world around us that can both inspire us to new heights and draw us closer to our Creator? Let the world outside your window be your inspiration this week.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

Blessings on your week,

Jennie