Spider silk strands spun into violin strings

[MindMover]

A Japanese researcher has used thousands of strands of spider silk to spin a set of violin strings.

The strings are said to have a "soft and profound timbre" relative to traditional gut or steel strings.

That may arise from the way the strings are twisted, resulting in a "packing structure" that leaves practically no space between any of the strands.

The strings will be described in a forthcoming Physical Review Letters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17243105


Why do the Japanese have so much time to do these kinds of things???


I

[greyl]

1. This would be more appropriate in the Science Group.

Especially since there's no video to include in the OP.
How about posting it there?

[MADem]

3. Well, there's "multimedia" at the link--you can hear the violin strings

if you click on the link.

[greyl]

6. I understand.

I did a quick YouTube search for that video before posting my reply, which is why I said there was no video to include in the OP("video" used loosely to mean embeddable multimedia).

If I had to choose 1 place to post that on DU, I'd still choose the Science Group.

[MindMover]

4. ty, I will post it there also....

[greyl]

5. Yw :) nt

[Ed Suspicious]

2. The invest in science because it's their only real comparative advantage.

"Why do the Japanese have so much time to do these kinds of things???"

They don't have much in the way of natural resources, land, or exploitable cheap labor force so they invest in science and technology.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

7. Wow!

I used to buy gut wrapped in steel.
Pirastro black label, Pirastro gold label, or Eudoxa.



Country players use steel strings and they like low action. I can't stand steel strings. I use a much higher bridge. country players don't know enough to wipe the white rosin dust off their fiddles either. Rosin dust will eat into the varnish.

[MindMover]

8. Eudoxa man myself......