Tarantulas produce silk from their feet

University of California, Irvine ^ | 27 September 2006 | Staff (press release)

[grey_whiskers]

If there was a separate Science Forum, hidden away out back by the Smokey Backroom it would be a disaster.

Well, bless my soul.

If I didn't go and leave out the whole point.

The devotion threads have *strict* enforcement of no flaming, etc.

Hence my "irreverent" vs. "dysgnostic" line.

If we agreed that there would be a similar enforcement of no troll, spamming, etc., on science threads within that Forum, we could have some higher-quality discussion.

OTOH, FWIW, many of the threads by NeverDem or SunkenCiv seem to do fine without harsh moderation--maybe that's because they are on a wide range of topics. Maybe crevo threads are just like waving a flag in front of a bull...? Or in your language, "deny anything that contradicts their religious beliefs."

I wouldn't mind so much if more of them were like [names deleted]. But [other names deleted] seem to repeat the same lines ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

I used to think that it was because they were stubborn, or hadn't read the rejoinders. But lately I am coming to the conclusion that some of them are using their posts (as you implied) as a technique to disrupt the threads.

Such tactics only belong on DU, not on FR.

Cheers!

[Coyoteman]

I used to think that it was because they were stubborn, or hadn't read the rejoinders. But lately I am coming to the conclusion that some of them are using their posts (as you implied) as a technique to disrupt the threads.

Those folks are called trolls.

(Good night all.)

[PatrickHenry]

This thread was hijacked to the Chat forum before any contentious posts were made. It was a good science thread, with good, serious comments. But, off to Chat, with the crop circles and other drivel. Something has changed, and this tells us where science is now relegated to here on FR.

Looking at "My Comments" shows that post #2 (my ping to the list) was in "News", and so was #3; but from #3 on it's all in "Chat." I don't know why those two posts show up like that for me, but there they are.

There was no cause at that very early stage to toss this thread into the dumpster, except: (1) the mod doesn't like spiders; (2) the mod doesn't like me; (3) the mod is furious at how many people are voting "No" in the evolution poll; or (4) all of the foregoing.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Had to chase this guy out of my house the other day:\

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL, just noticed the date on this picture. It really happened just a few weeks ago. I had to find batteries for the camera, and forgot to set the date before the darn thing crawled off:). We do see them around here several times every summer...I pretty much leave them alone, they are good to kill wasps, of which we have more then our share...but in the house was too close for comfort:)

Here's another that going up the side of the house last year.

Becky

[MeanWestTexan]

Had the same thought. So Stan Lee was right.

(Except that SM's webs were a gadget-created in the earliest versions of the genre.)

[sully777]

@

[bobdsmith]

There's one spider here that does something similar: http://www.amonline.net.au/factSheets/bolas_spider.htm

The Magnificent Spider captures its prey by deception At night it spins a short line of silk with a sticky globule of silk at the free end - the bolas. This sticky silk globule may contain pheromones that mimic the scent of a certain female noctuid moth species, attracting unwary male moths within range (known as "aggressive mimicry"). The Magnificent Spider is very sensitive to vibrations, twirling its thread when it senses the approach of a moth's beating wings. The moth eventually flutters close enough to be hit by and become stuck to the globule. The spider then pulls up the strand, bites and immobilises the moth, and either eats it straight away or stores it for later, wrapped in silk. These spiders can also be induced to respond to the vibrations of plucked guitar strings.

[b_sharp]

"I used to think that it was because they were stubborn, or hadn't read the rejoinders. But lately I am coming to the conclusion that some of them are using their posts (as you implied) as a technique to disrupt the threads."

Bingo!

You can expect to receive your prize... sometime in the future.

[SunkenCiv]

That doesn't explain the tarantula's preference for knee-highs.

[Ben Chad]

<< FR used to be more accommodating to science. >>

The sidebar poll on teaching ID in science classes speaks for itself. FR is no friend to science.

[skinkinthegrass]

I wish I had a few loose around my house, as they tend to get rid of much less than desirable life forms.

I used to live in W. Tx....so many, Oh, So many.
...like the two-legged Congresscritters.