Spiders Tune the Strings of Their Webs Like Guitars

A new study by the Oxford Silk Group has shown that spiders tighten and loosen the individual silk strings of their webs to create special vibrations that let them know what is going on with their woven dwelling.

The vibrations communicate if something has hit the web, if it is an insect that is now snared in the sticky silk, and if so, where it is.

It can also let a spider know if a potential mate has stepped on to the web. That vibration, like the one that let the spider know that it has caught some food, has to feel good.

According to the story from NPR and the spider silk has been around for over 350 million years, and humans have not yet been able to replicate it.