Episode guide
Spiders: Tiny Architects
Every night, small architects rebuild bridges and wheels out of silk stronger than steel by weight. This episode watches one work, thread by thread.
The science, gently
- Spider silk, weight for weight, is stronger than steel and stretchier than rubber.
- Many orb-weavers eat their old web and spin a fresh one each night, recycling every thread.
- A spider's web is also its telephone: it reads the vibrations of every visitor.
Wonder together
- What would you build every day, if building cost nothing but patience?
- How does it feel to fix something by starting over?
- Where is the most beautiful web you have ever found?
Tonight's calm-down
The spider finishes her wheel, settles at the center, and goes still, holding one thread lightly. Hold your one thread, tomorrow, lightly, and rest at the center of tonight.