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Salomon
ಠ︵ಠ balance ಠ_ಠ weaver ಠ‿ಠ
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 25,128
Loc: America, FUCK YEAH
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literal spider web violin strings 2
#17836267 - 02/20/13 02:11 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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this story is from last year, but i thought it was cool
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17232058
Quote:
A Japanese researcher has used thousands of strands of spider silk to spin a set of violin strings.
The strings are said to have a "soft and profound timbre" relative to traditional gut or steel strings.
That may arise from the way the strings are twisted, resulting in a "packing structure" that leaves practically no space between any of the strands.
The strings will be described in a forthcoming edition of the journal Physical Review Letters.
Shigeyoshi Osaki of Japan's Nara Medical University has been interested in the mechanical properties of spider silk for a number of years.
In particular, he has studied the "dragline" silk that spiders dangle from, quantifying its strength in a 2007 paper in Polymer Journal.
Dr Osaki has perfected methods of obtaining large quantities of this dragline silk from captive-bred spiders and has now turned his attention to the applications of the remarkable material.
"Bowed string instruments such as the violin have been the subject of many scientific studies," he writes.
"However, not all of the details have been clarified, as most players have been interested in the violin body rather than the properties of the bow or strings."
Dr Osaki used 300 female Nephila maculata spiders - one of the species of "golden orb-weavers" renowned for their complex webs - to provide the dragline silk.
For each string, Dr Osaki twisted between 3,000 and 5,000 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.
He then set about measuring their tensile strength - a critical factor for violinists wishing to avoid breaking a string in the midst of a concerto.
The spider-silk strings withstood less tension before breaking than a traditional but rarely used gut string, but more than an aluminium-coated, nylon-core string. Microscope image of spider silk strings An electron microscope image shows a section of the bundle just 70 millionths of a metre wide
A closer study using an electron microscope showed that, while the strings themselves were perfectly round, in cross-section the strands had been compressed into a range of different shapes that all fit snugly together, leaving no space between them.
Dr Osaki suggests that it is this feature of the strings that lends them their strength and, crucially, their unique tone.
"Several professional violinists reported that spider strings... generated a preferable timbre, being able to create a new music," he wrote.
"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."
the link has a recording of it being played.
thats some nature bending right there
-------------------- EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY BECOMES A DESERT
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Futuresight
Mind Mage
Registered: 01/19/13
Posts: 1,188
Loc: The Candy Kingdom
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: Salomon] 1
#17836292 - 02/20/13 02:15 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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Such a beautiful sound!
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Patlal
You ask too many questions
Registered: 10/09/10
Posts: 44,826
Loc: Ottawa
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: Futuresight]
#17836318 - 02/20/13 02:19 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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Spider webs have extremely high potential. They are stronger than steel.
I wonder why there isn't a company harvesting spiders for their webs.
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11nova
Bipolar Bear
Registered: 09/06/12
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: Patlal] 1
#17836361 - 02/20/13 02:26 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Patlal said: Spider webs have extremely high potential. They are stronger than steel.
I wonder why there isn't a company harvesting spiders for their webs.
Don't give them any ideas
-------------------- I wish I was a headlight, on a northbound train
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Futuresight
Mind Mage
Registered: 01/19/13
Posts: 1,188
Loc: The Candy Kingdom
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: 11nova]
#17836368 - 02/20/13 02:28 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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It will just be a shit storm of animal/insect rights, media, and a whole tornado of fucks not given.
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mpd
Lammen Gorthaur
Registered: 10/22/12
Posts: 9,660
Loc: Mostly at home... Mostly....
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: 11nova]
#17836372 - 02/20/13 02:28 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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I fucking hate spiders, but I am not above the idea of exploiting this natural resource for corporate profit's sake.
-------------------- There is no truer calling for mankind than that of true conservatism.
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Futuresight
Mind Mage
Registered: 01/19/13
Posts: 1,188
Loc: The Candy Kingdom
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: mpd]
#17836394 - 02/20/13 02:31 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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Salomon
ಠ︵ಠ balance ಠ_ಠ weaver ಠ‿ಠ
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 25,128
Loc: America, FUCK YEAH
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: Futuresight]
#17836437 - 02/20/13 02:40 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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-------------------- EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY BECOMES A DESERT
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Futuresight
Mind Mage
Registered: 01/19/13
Posts: 1,188
Loc: The Candy Kingdom
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: Salomon] 1
#17836522 - 02/20/13 02:59 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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I say we take all the deadly spiders and put them in a box, and launch the box into space with a timed bomb strapped to it.
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collie man
Jai guru deva om
Registered: 02/26/10
Posts: 3,665
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: Salomon]
#17836533 - 02/20/13 03:02 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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I wish they could be mass produced and purchased.
I would totally restring my violin with a set.
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KremrBigSikter
Spränger Språnger
Registered: 07/23/11
Posts: 3,918
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: mpd]
#17836640 - 02/20/13 03:25 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
mpd said: I fucking hate spiders, but I am not above the idea of exploiting this natural resource for corporate profit's sake.
Oh you!
-------------------- I have pneumonia
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Psy Baba
That was zen, This is Tao
Registered: 01/30/06
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Re: literal spider web violin strings [Re: Salomon]
#17837190 - 02/20/13 05:02 PM (11 years, 1 month ago) |
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Neat.
-------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Sit up and meditate, there's no time to contemplate. ------------------------------------------------- I have an international Hitech Psytrance project with a friend: BioChronic I make various form of Psytrance as a solo Project Dendriform
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