Secrets of Spider Webs
Part of Educators
Part of Educators
Join us for a special evening for educators with Cheryl Hayashi, Ph.D., senior vice president and provost of science at the American Museum of Natural History.
Spiders reign supreme in the diversity of silks they can spin and in the remarkable properties of their silks. Silk allows spiders to trap and subdue animals that are many times their size, including elusive flying prey. Capable of remarkable feats, spiders and their web-spinning abilities have been the inspiration for ancient legends, beloved books, comics, and movies, and spider silk has been promoted as the basis for novel, eco-friendly technologies. But what is really known about spider silk? Dr. Hayashi will share results from the latest discoveries about the mysteries of silk, which spiders have held secret for several hundred million years.