Today’s Solutions: November 02, 2024

Have you ever wondered what spiderwebs sound like? Probably not, and neither had we until we came across this project. That curious thought is exactly what prompted scientists at MIT to create a brand-new genre of music — produced by spiders.

How did they do it? Well, according to Futurism, the process involved first creating 3D scans of spider webs and then importing them into a virtual reality setup. Once uploaded onto the virtual environment, the scientists were able to manipulate the webs in different ways and covert the resulting structures and their sound frequencies into a rather compelling piece of ambient music.

“The spider lives in an environment of vibrating strings,” says Markus Buehler, project leader and MIT engineer. “They don’t see very well, so they sense their world through vibrations, which have different frequencies.”

The final melody features a harp-like instrument playing an eerie tune over an echoing effect which, overall, evokes a ghostly and haunting feeling — just what you would expect from a piece of music composed by an arachnid. We suggest you give it a listen yourself by following this link.

While spider music is a fun experiment by itself, the research also has its scientific relevance. Eventually, the team wants to play it to groups of spiders and observe whether they can use the musical vibrations to communicate with the arachnids.

“Now we’re trying to generate synthetic signals to basically speak the language of the spider,” says Buehler. “If we expose them to certain patterns of rhythms or vibrations, can we affect what they do, and can we begin to communicate with them? Those are really exciting ideas.”

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

This heartwarming Danish ad breaks down the ‘Us vs Them’ narrative

It’s rare that we publish a story about an advertisement, but then again it’s rare that an ad stirs so much emotion within its ...

Read More

NOAHs: Charlotte has a formula for long-lasting affordable housing

We recently shared how empty retail space could be the solution to California’s affordable housing crisis. Across the country in North Carolina, the city ...

Read More

A seat at the table for underrepresented communities

Climate change is already affecting all of us—however, those that bear the brunt of these consequences are predominantly from low-income, marginalized, BIPOC communities. So ...

Read More

Expanding democracy: Michigan opens new doors for formerly incarcerated voters

Malijah Gee's path from incarceration at the age of 17 to imminent freedom reflects the longing for a voice that has been suppressed for 36 years. ...

Read More