Can Spiders Come Back to Life?
WouterSpiders are known for their resilience, but can they come back to life? Theoretically, they can live a long time. Some species are able to live for two decades in captivity. Some can even survive drowning accidents.
Researchers at Rice University in Houston, Texas have a new way to bring dead spiders back to life. They have found a way to inject air into the spider’s legs. This will stretch them and allow them to pick up objects.
The process is called necrobotics and was discovered by professor of mechanical engineering Daniel Preston. He is interested in repurposing dead spiders as study subjects, which could unlock interesting scientific knowledge in the future.
He was curious about how a spider’s legs curl in when it dies. To test this, Preston’s team pumped air into the spider’s body. The result was a curled up leg that was able to lift 130 percent of its own weight. The same effect could be achieved with the use of a handheld syringe.
While it was not a complete success, the researchers were able to achieve their goals. They tapped into the spider’s hydraulic chamber and used a syringe to fill the legs with air. This helped the spider’s cadavers pick up items.
Another tidbit is the fact that spiders can control individual valves in the hydraulic chamber. When pressure is relieved, these valves contract to send blood to the spider’s limbs. This may help scientists develop better microelectronics.
