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FreeImages.com / Aleš Čerin |
Have you ever heard the thump of a confused bird hitting a window? Countless birds are killed each year when they fly directly into window glass. Sometimes they can’t see the glass panes that are nearly invisible to them, or they get confused by reflections of nearby trees, sky, or the birds themselves. To address this problem, researchers have turned to an unusual corner of nature: spider webs.To finish reading, spin on over to "Bird-Saving Spider Webs".
Spiders, such as the orb weaver—whose spoke-wheel webs appear frequently in yards and woods—construct their webs with a silk that reflects ultraviolet light. Our eyes can’t see ultraviolet light, but many insects and birds do. The UV-reflecting property of spider silk appears to serve two purposes.
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