Spiders' Thread

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


Austrian papers state that a merchant of Vienna has lately presented to the Industrial Union of that capital tbe details of a series of experiments made by him to manufacture spiders' thread into woven tissues. The thread is wound on a reel, and two dozen spi ders produce in six iBinutes a beautiful and delicate thread, two thousand feet in length. The stuffs manulactured are spoken of as be ing far superior to those of silk in beauty and delicacy of fabric.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 29This article was published with the title “Spiders' Thread” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 29 (), p. 230
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican04021853-230c

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe