Reference: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120305132613.htm
Summary: Spider silk is extremely strong and stretchy. People thought it would be good for conducting heat, but until recently that hypothesis went untested. A new study has shown that spider silk, especially the draglines that anchor the webs in place, conducts heat better than most materials, including conductors like silicon, aluminum, and pure iron. It conducts heat 1,000 times better than woven silkworm silk and 800 times better than other organic tissues. For an organic material this is the highest level of conductance other than silver and diamond. Think that's crazy? Read this: thermal conductivity goes up by 20 percent when spider silk is stretched.
Critique: I've always liked spiders and been really interested in their webs. I think it's crazy how something so delicate looking can be so strong and conduct heat better than common conductors like silicon, aluminum, and iron. Who knows how scientists will be able to use this cool knowledge?
Impact: This completely changes thoughts on the conductivity of biological materials.
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