Spiders' Webs Nina and the Neurons

# If you've got a question And you don't know where to go

# Ask Nina for some help Cos she's got a science show

# She makes sense of her senses While helping all her fans

# By doing her experiments With potions and with bangs

-# Touch your tongue

-Tongue

-# Fingers

-Fingers

-# Eyes

-Eyes

-Ears

-Ears

-# Nose

-Nose

# Nina and the Neurons Find out what you need to know

# Nina and the Neurons Find out what you need to know

# Luke, he helps us with our eyes And Felix with our touch

# Ollie sniffs out smells and scents And Belle, she hears so much

# Bud is Ollie's brother He helps us with our taste

# They're Nina's little Neurons And they're coming to your place

-# Touch your tongue

-Tongue

-# Fingers

-Fingers

-# Eyes

-Eyes

-Ears

-Ears

-# Nose

-Nose

-# Nina and the Neurons find out What you need to know

-Yeah!

# Nina and the Neurons Find out what you need to know

# Oh, yeah! #

Boing! Boing! Boing-boing! Hee-hee!

Oh, hello there.

I'm just testing how stretchy this thread is.

It turns out it's very.

Boing! Ha-ha! Boing!

BEEPING

I hear a beep, I see a flash, I wonder what they're going to ask.

-BOTH: Hi, Nina!

-Hi!

We've got a question for you.

How does a spider build a web?

That's a great question! How does a spider build a web?

Now, spiders' webs are much bigger than the spiders that build them,

so how do they do it?

Come down to my workshop and we'll investigate.

BOTH: See you soon, Nina! Bye!

Bye!

Well, I'm going to need some help to answer this one

and I know just who to ask.

OK, Neurons, time to get to work.

ALL: Neurons at the ready, Nina.

OK, today's question is how does a spider build a web?

Which Neuron will be most useful in helping us find the answer?

-Yippee!

-It's Bud!

ALL: Go, Bud! Go, Bud! Go, Bud!

Go, Bud! Go, Bud! Go, Bud!

Go, Bud!

Give me a taste of the action, Nina!

Today's question is how does a spider build a web?

Lots of spiders build webs to catch insects to eat,

so Bud will be helping me today.

Stand by, Neurons, I've a feeling I may need help from all of you.

I need to get the workshop ready before the experimenters arrive.

Hugo loves building things with toys.

Ugochi likes telling stories.

They both want to know how does a spider build a web?

Today, for one day only, Hugo and Ugochi become the experimenters!

-Hi, guys.

-BOTH: Hi, Nina.

Welcome to my workshop and thank you for your great question,

how does a spider build a web?

Well, let's have a look at a spider's web.

Different spiders build different types of webs.

Lots of spiders build webs that are shaped like this.

These long threads look like the spokes of a wheel, don't they?

Like on a bike.

Yes, exactly!

The spokes are joined together by more thread in a spiral.

-What do you think the web's made of?

-Thread.

Yes, it's made of a special kind of thread called spider silk.

The spiders make it inside their own body.

-Isn't that cool?!

-BOTH: Yeah!

Let's see how it starts its web.

First, the spider spins a long super-strong thread.

Spiders need a web that's much bigger than they are.

So then it waits for the wind to blow the thread across

the big gap because the spider's too small to reach itself,

so it needs the wind to help it.

When the thread does catch, the spider pulls it tight

and walks across it.

Why don't we build our own spider's web?

Let's get experimenting.

ALL: Whoop-whoop! An experiment!

We're ready, Nina!

So here our little spider has added some more threads to make the frame.

-What's missing?

-The spokes.

-Yes!

So let's make some spokes.

You're going to use the knobs to attach the spokes

but a spider would actually spin a different type of sticky silk

and put it on like a blob of glue.

So spiders can make different types of silk, Nina.

Yes, Belle.

Some spiders make seven different types of silk to do different jobs.

OK, let's get these spokes attached.

-Are you ready?

-BOTH: Yeah!

OK, go for it!

Very good.

You're doing really well, guys.

Just like the spokes of a wheel,

these threads have helped to strengthen this web

so it keeps its shape.

That's the first part of the web.

So well done, experimenters, and well done, Mr Spider.

We found out that spiders' webs are made from spider silk.

Lots of spiders use a super-strong type of silk to build

-the main structure of the web...

-Which looks a bit like a wheel.

You've got it, Neurons.

The super-strong silk on the spokes is also a little bit stretchy.

So let's do an experiment to find out why

and I think you're going to get a real kick out of this one.

Hmmm, where do you think we're going today?

Nina said we would get a kick out of this experiment.

Maybe it's a karate kick. Hiyah!

Oh, I do hope not.

Relax, Felix, we're here and it doesn't look like

they'll be doing karate.

So, experimenters, why do you think spiders build webs?

-To catch flies.

-That's right.

Most spiders build webs to catch flies or other insects to eat.

Bleurgh! I'm glad you don't eat flies, Nina!

Me too, Bud!

We're going to imagine that the net in our goal is like a spider's web

and these balls are like insects flying into it.

Let's see what happens when they hit our pretend web.

Very good!

Brilliant! Excellent shot. Hugo, your turn.

Very good!

Look at those flies go. Zoom!

Superb work!

Lots of flies hit our net web but what happened?

They bounced back.

They did and that's because the net didn't stretch at all.

When a fly, that was moving rather quickly, hit the stiff web

it pinged right back out, well out of the reach of the spider

and that meant no tasty meal for Mr Spider.

Let's try that again but this time we'll use a stretchy net,

like the stretchy silk in a spider's web.

Do you think the net will be as stretchy as me?

ALL: Hee-hee-hee!

Look, the net is stretching when the flies hit it.

Good. Great throw.

Excellent!

-So what happened?

-They didn't bounce back as far.

That's right! Let's have a look at it in slow motion

to see what happened.

With the stiff net the flies bounced straight back out

and the net hardly moved.

If a real spider's web was like this,

the insects would bounce off and escape.

The stretchy net moved much more when the flies hit it

and a spider's web works in the same way.

When an insect flies into it really quickly,

the spokes of the web stretch a bit.

This helps to slow the insects down.

The stretchy spokes of a spider's web help to slow insects down

when they fly into it.

This means they're less likely to bounce back out and escape.

That's right, Neurons.

To stop the insects from escaping, the spider's web needs to

do something else as well.

Let's do an experiment to find out.

Your question was how do spiders build a web?

So far we've found out that spiders build the frame

and the spokes of the web first using a strong and stretchy silk.

Then the spider crawls round and round making a silk spiral

and this experiment will show us how important that spiral is.

Now, you guys are in your fantastic costumes

and they're also going to help us with the experiment.

Hugo, you're going to be our spider and this is your amazing spider web.

You are going to be chasing Ugochi, our fantastic fly.

Now, Ugochi, when an insect lands in a web, the spider feels

the movement through the silky spokes.

When you land on this web, Hugo the spider

will feel that you're there and come and chase you.

I want you to try and escape.

Brilliant, I love a game of chase!

Ready, steady, go!

-What's happened, little fly?

-I'm stuck.

Stuck?! Here comes spider Hugo.

Oh, dear! Better help you down.

What you didn't see was this -

sticky material on the web.

So that's why the fly got stuck.

I'm so glad that spider Hugo didn't eat you for his dinner,

-aren't you?!

-Yes!

So you couldn't escape because the spiral was sticky

and that's what happens in a real spider's web.

When a spider is spinning the silk for the spiral, it covers

it in another sticky kind of silk.

When an insect flies into the web, the sticky stuff traps it

until the spider can reach it.

Why doesn't the spider get stuck, Nina?

Well, the clever spider moves around on the spokes of the web

most of the time because those aren't sticky.

# Nina and the Neurons. #

Your question was how does a spider build a web?

I think we've answered it.

Spiders build webs using different types of silk.

They start with a long thread of super-strong silk

and use the wind to blow it across a gap.

Next they build a strong frame and stretchy spokes,

so the insects don't bounce out.

Then the spider builds a sticky spiral to trap

insects to eat for its tea.

Yucky!

I hope that answered your question.

Thanks, Nina. Bye!

You're welcome. Bye!

If you want to know more about the science that's all around us,

go to the Nina section on the CBeebies website. Have fun!

# Super structures Super structures

# Super structures Super structures

# Super structures

# Some of them are tall Some of them are wide

# They're bumpy, lumpy, wiggly too

# Wiggly too

# Some of them are strong Some of them are small

# Like me

# They're windy, whirly, whooshy too

# All around Look over here

# Build it, stack it, pile it up

# Come on, let's get building

-# Building,

-building,

-building

# Race it, hold it, make it stick

# Come on, let's get building

# Come on, let's get building

# Some of them are cosy warm Some of them are chilly

# Keep us safe and hide us too

# Hide us too

# Some of them are just for fun Or help us to stay dry

# They're underground And high up too

# Look around Over here

# Build it, stack it, pile it up

# Come on, let's get building

-# Building,

-building,

-building

# Race it, hold it, make it stick

# Come on, let's get building

# Come on, let's get building! #

And remember there are super structures everywhere.

Whether they're big or small, wide or tall, we can all get building.

See you again soon. Bye!

-ALL: Bye!

-Get building!