Music and spiders woven together with web science. Behold: the SpiderHarp
Published on Aug 12, 2024, 5:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:20:05
Published on Aug 12, 2024, 5:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:20:05
What if a spider could play the harp?
OK, sure, there aren’t spider virtuosos in little tuxedos out there performing harp concerts. But there IS a harp-like musical instrument inspired by a spider’s web, complete with a mechanical spider perched in the middle, and it was dreamt up in Oregon. It’s meant to simulate how spiders use vibrations in their webs to understand the world around them. Scientists at Oregon State University wanted to explore how these spidey-senses work, so an engineer who studies spiders and an engineer who designs musical instruments came together to create: the SpiderHarp.
OPB “Oregon Field Guide” producer Jule Gilfillan met the team of scientists behind the SpiderHarp and brings us this story of how art, science, humans and spiders meet to make harp music.
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