Investigating spiders: life on a thread - for iPod/iPhone
by The Open University
Whether you find spiders fearful or fascinating, they are to be admired for their web-spinning and prey-catching techniques, and the remarkable methods they use to move from one place to another. In this album, researchers in Denmark and the United States use an 8-legged robot and a virtual spider, high-speed photography, a hot air balloon and a rowing boat to explore the biophysics of spiders. In the audio track, Dr David Robinson of The Open University explains how advances in technology allow advances in scientific knowledge and understanding. This material forms part of The Open University course S204 Biology: uniformity and diversity.
Episodes
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Investigating spiders: life on a thread
A short introduction to this album.
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Investigating the biophysics of spiders
David Robinson explains the difference between spiders and insects, and takes a close look at how technology allows us to learn more about thie behaviour.
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Ballooning spiders
Bio-physicist Bob Suter goes spider hunting in a hot air balloon.
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Theseus the virtual spider
Computer scientist Thiemo Krink explores the rules of web spinning.
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Spiders' webs
Biologist Fritz Vollrath disentangles the science of spiders’ webs.
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Boating spiders
Bio-physicist Bob Suter shows how some spiders can move over a water surface.
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Galloping spiders
Bio-physicist Bob Suter explains how some spiders gallop across the surface of water.
About this show
Whether you find spiders fearful or fascinating, they are to be admired for their web-spinning and prey-catching techniques, and the remarkable methods they use to move from one place to another. In this album, researchers in Denmark and the United States use an 8-legged robot and a virtual spider, high-speed photography, a hot air balloon and a rowing boat to explore the biophysics of spiders. In the audio track, Dr David Robinson of The Open University explains how advances in technology allow advances in scientific knowledge and understanding. This material forms part of The Open University course S204 Biology: uniformity and diversity.
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