I once posted an image of a three-tier dome web on INW

here

Right now, just outside our front door, I found a similar one:

The light is strong and is washing it out, but if you look carefully under the first tier, hammock-like structure, you can see the next tier.

Here’s a scientific explanation of this phenomenon:

http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/sep252001/678.pdf

It’s amazing that ANYTHING can be researched to an incredible level…just imagine actually finding out a FORMULA for the length of the strands used to anchor the length of a spider web!!!

Here’s the formula, quoted from that study:

“…measuring the lengths of the principal anchor strands (Figure 2) radiating from the centre of the web…. The study was done between the months May and June (summer) of 1997….The formula used to calculate anchor length was: AL = Ö{(x1–x2) + (y1–y2) + (z1–z2)}, where AL is the anchor length and x1, y1, z1 and x2, y2, z2 are the coordinates of the two points (between the centre of the web and the anchor point), respectively.”

What sort of measuring devices would you use to measure such fine gossamer strands, I wonder!

Well, I didn’t do any research, in fact, I didn’t even do any search, I just found these webs, each time, I just happened to spot them!

But..if YOU want to get your doctorate in spider-web technology..you know what to do!