Spider webs have the same chemical building blocks as human hair, but can your hair stop a passenger jet in mid-flight? On the next Sound of Ideas, we'll learn about spider webs that are stronger than steel. Imagine the applications if researchers learn to mimic spider silk: Lightweight clothing so tough it could stop bullets, indestructible currency, fenders that pop back into shape after a crash. Even synthetic muscles that can lift tons, just like Spiderman.
Guests:
Todd A. Blackledge, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Akron