We’ve all heard the claim that spider silk is stronger than steel, but could it actually support a human swinging through the air like your friendly neighborhood web-slinger? The folks at Veritasium decided there was only one reasonable way to find out: gather the largest bundle of spider silk ever assembled for this kind of experiment and let someone dangle from it. Because apparently that’s what science grants are for.
Along the way, they explore why spider silk is one of nature’s most extraordinary materials. Pound for pound, it’s stronger than steel, tougher than Kevlar, and so ridiculously difficult to mass-produce that scientists have resorted to everything from genetically modified goats to spider-silk-spinning silkworms in an effort to recreate it.
And yes… they eventually put the silk to the ultimate test. Did someone actually manage to swing from it without becoming a human splat on the climbing gym floor? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Whether you’re here for Spider-Man, mind-blowing materials science, or the idea of genetically engineered spider-silk-spinning silkworms, this video is a fascinating look at how nature keeps inspiring the next generation of technology. It’s the closest we’ve come yet to making comic book science a reality.