logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
33m 29s

The Spider Web

Wbur
About this episode
With new and exotic species available at the click of a button, the digital age forever changed the multimillion-dollar arachnid industry. What has that meant for spiders? Credits: This episode was written and produced by Dean Russell. Mixing, sound design, and original music by Matt Reed. Ben Brock Johnson and Dean Russell are the co-hosts. (Henrik Sorens ... Show More
Up next
Sep 11
Ear rumblers assemble!
Ben can make a roaring, rumbling sound with his ears that no one else can hear. He never thought much about it — whether only he could do this, or whether everyone could do this — until he discovered a subreddit called Ear Rumblers Assemble: a whole community devoted to the myste ... Show More
28m 32s
Sep 4
Encore: Owl pursuits
This episode was originally published on March 10, 2023. In 2022, freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill got a new neighbor: an owl. What wasn't clear was whether the owl was trying to befriend them, or catch them. Sometimes the owl seemed to be chasing stude ... Show More
24m 57s
Aug 28
Emily Kwong takes us to science camp
Grab your telescopes because this week on Endless Thread Ben and NPR Short Wave host Emily Kwong take us down two science-related internet wormholes. First, Emily introduces us to the intergalactic world of astronaut fan fiction, starring the crew of the 2026 Artemis II moon miss ... Show More
25m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
A Different Kind of Web Developer—Spiders!
In this episode, hosts Rick and Marco are learning all about our eight-legged friends, spiders! To find out more, they are speaking with Taylor Cook, the wildlife care supervisor for the entomology department at the San Diego Zoo. Some people might find arachnids a little scary, ... Show More
37m 2s
Jun 2020
Web Spider Is Our Hero
What is a web spider? You don't have to leave a message and we'll call you back, we'll explain in this episode what web spiders are and how they work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
47m 1s
Nov 2021
How Does the Invasive Joro Spider Work?
Residents of the American South may have noticed a new spider on the, er, web -- the beautiful, fascinating Joro spider. Learn about it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/arachnids/joro-spider.htm Learn more about your ad-choic ... Show More
5m 27s
Oct 2022
Climate change threatens supercomputing, and collecting spider silks
On this week’s show: Rising waters and intense storms make siting high-performance computer centers a challenge, and matching up spider silk DNA with spider silk properties (Main Text) First up on the podcast this week, News Intern Jacklin Kwan talks with host Sarah Crespi about ... Show More
30m 27s
Oct 2019
Spider and remote sensing
When a fly hits a spider’s web the web sends vibrations to the spider crouched at its edge. This is known as remote sensing. The webs may help us design sensors to detect vibrations in the earth and the built environment. These vibrations could be turned into electricity. This co ... Show More
16m 59s
Oct 2021
Level 3.172 The golden web
Spiders' webs: not just for Hallowe'en! 
4m 29s
Dec 2024
Short Stuff: Joro Spiders
These invasive spiders are everywhere these days. But how did they get to the USA and are they harmful?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
12m 11s
Feb 2023
Australia’s Scary Spiders
Brian Cox and Robin Ince end their Australian science adventure with an episode all about spiders. They are joined by ecologists Dieter Hochuli and Mariella Herberstein and comedian Claire Hooper. They learn about the strange physiology of spiders, including skin shedding, weavin ... Show More
42m 27s
Oct 2022
Not-So-Spooky Spiders
As Halloween approaches, we take a look at an animal that is sometimes considered spooky: the spider. From "excessive leggy-ness" to powerful venom, Casey and Sara discuss why people might be creeped out by spiders, and whether or not they really deserve their bad reputation (spo ... Show More
1h 10m
Sep 2022
Spider season, with Prof Adam Hart
It’s that time of year again when we start to notice spiders coming into our homes. But what is the cause of this so-called ‘spider season’ and can any UK spiders actually cause us harm? Entomologist Prof Adam Hart from the University of Gloucester gives us the lowdown. Hosted on ... Show More
26m 26s