How spiders mastered spin control

Their silk subtly changes shape as it twists, slowing rotation

STEADY SPIDER Silk from orb weaver spiders (Nephila edulis shown) deforms when twisted, enabling a steady dangle.

Sam Gordon/Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

August 8, 2017 at 7:00 am - More than 2 years ago

A strange property of spider silk helps explain how the arachnids avoid twirling wildly at the end of their ropes.

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