Scientists Find Spiders Forming Webs Inside Space Station, In Zero-Gravity Space
In microgravity, they saw one of the spiders actually make symmetrical webs with hubs positioned closer to the centre now. What was fascinating was that spiders didn¡¯t always keep their heads in the downward position, since this time gravity wasn¡¯t there to tell them where to point.
Spiders are magnificent creatures. Seeing them create a beautiful web to trap their prey is nothing short of fascinating.
And now, in a research conducted on the International Space Station, researchers have discovered that they are able to make their webs regardless of the existence of gravity.
Reuters
They put two spiders in different containers on the ISS, with two more spiders on the ground as a control group with similar conditions (albeit with gravity). They observed the spiders for around two months. They also captured an image every 5 minutes.
Researchers mentioned in the study, ¡°We assessed the spider orientation in 100 webs based on 14,528 pictures, of which 14,021 showed the spider in its resting position and could therefore be used for the analysis.¡±
In normal conditions on Earth, spiders (particularly orb spiders) are known to make asymmetrical webs with the centre leaned towards the upper edge so when the prey comes in the trap, they use gravity to instantly devour it.
However, in microgravity, they saw one of the spiders actually make symmetrical webs with hubs positioned closer to the centre now. What was fascinating was that spiders didn¡¯t always keep their heads in the downward position, since this time gravity wasn¡¯t there to tell them where to point.
What was more fascinating is that one of the spiders on the ISS were making the webs extremely asymmetrical, especially the ones who started building their web when the lights were on. Researchers discovered that light provided a point of reference -- something researchers hadn¡¯t even considered.
University of Colorado Boulder
Researchers said in a statement, ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have guessed that light would play a role in orienting the spiders in space. We were very fortunate that the lamps were attached at the top of the chamber and not on various sides. Otherwise, we would not have been able to discover the effect of light on the symmetry of webs in zero gravity.¡±
This definitely makes the tiny arachnids feel crazier and cooler than before.
