Transcript -- Bio-physicist Bob Suter goes spider hunting in a hot air balloon.

Investigating spiders: life on a thread - for iPod/iPhone

Transcript -- Ballooning spiders

Investigating spiders: life on a thread

Transcript -- A short introduction to this album.

Transcript -- Investigating spiders: life on a thread

David Robinson explains the difference between spiders and insects, and takes a close look at how technology allows us to learn more about thie behaviour.

Investigating the biophysics of spiders

Transcript -- David Robinson explains the difference between spiders and insects, and takes a close look at how technology allows us to learn more about thie behaviour.

Transcript -- Investigating the biophysics of spiders

Bio-physicist Bob Suter goes spider hunting in a hot air balloon.

Ballooning spiders

Computer scientist Thiemo Krink explores the rules of web spinning.

Theseus the virtual spider

Transcript -- Computer scientist Thiemo Krink explores the rules of web spinning.

Transcript -- Theseus the virtual spider

Biologist Fritz Vollrath disentangles the science of spiders’ webs.

Spiders' webs

Transcript -- Biologist Fritz Vollrath disentangles the science of spiders’ webs.

Transcript -- Spiders' webs

Education

Whether you find spiders fearful or fascinating, they are to be admired for their web-spinning and prey-catching techniques, and the remarkable methods they use to move from one place to another. In this album, researchers in Denmark and the United States use an 8-legged robot and a virtual spider, high-speed photography, a hot air balloon and a rowing boat to explore the biophysics of spiders. In the audio track, Dr David Robinson of The Open University explains how advances in technology allow advances in scientific knowledge and understanding. This material forms part of The Open University course S204 Biology: uniformity and diversity.