A spiny orb-weaver spider carefully building her web. Spiny orb-weavers create intricate webs up to 60cm in diameter with as many as 30 loops in the outer spiral.
Video credit: Rachel Barry
Further reading: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN324
@wonderofscience I could watch this forever. Her focus, her perfect parallel measurements (and taps to confirm), and the confident stomp with which she puts that new thread down... amazing.
@ingridmurrayart This is why they need 8 eyes
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@wonderofscience Stared at this for minutes! Reminding me of effortless climbing and clipping
@wonderofscience Spiders are so cool! Her method is so scientific and precise. I wonder if she realizes she is also creating art?
@wonderofscience Vackert! (Beautiful !)
#spindel
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Masters of geometry.
@wonderofscience who up pondering they orb weaver?
@wonderofscience Damn, I’m in awe of this little being. After many years of precision metal work I now see the problem I have, 4 appendages too few!
@wonderofscience@mastodon.social I’m trying to figure out how she loops it around the horizontal guide strands. It looks like a magic trick.
@wonderofscience As a web developer, I've got to show respect to the original web developers. This orb spider has obviously mastered her craft.
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I knew this part of the algorithm was really simple: stay on the (smooth) radials and attach the (sticky) tangent thread a fixed distance inboard of the previous attachment . I didn't know they used their legs to find that attachment, or to measure the distance, or that each leg had its own job:
1. Find
2 Measure
3.Attach
@wonderofscience This just stuns me. How does nature come up with this, and how amazing are the creatures around us?
We seriously need to stop and think about the world we’re totally screwing up. The future and fate of everything lies in our hands.
@wonderofscience I had one of these in my back yard a while back. The web it built was quite expansive. Who knew spiders could be so bright and flashy colored?
@wonderofscience where’s the Raid?
@wonderofscience Our first year in #Portland, our little yard was home to dozens of them, but then there was a very icy winter, and we never saw them again.