Page 86 - The Miracle in the Spider

86 THE MIRACLE IN THE SPIDER

and determining the order in which the molecules which make it up lie.
Every giant molecule in this synthetic polymer is made up of thousands
of molecular chains of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen atoms.
This product, known as "Kevlar," today produced artificially, is the most
developed of organic fibres. With their strength and elasticity, Kevlar
synthetic fibres come closest to the physical characteristics of spider silk.
Kevlar is used in car seat-belts and in various items of protective
clothing. It is an important product also used to large degree in the
aircraft and shipping industry as an external material, in the production
of fibre-optic and electro-mechanical cables, in the rope and cable
industry, and in various sports implements.
Kevlar fibres are made from "poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide."
This fibre, consisting of long molecular chains, is suitable for bending and
using as a thread thanks to its construction. Its properties of durability
and lightness have led to this material being used in many areas of

industry.
One of the most important fields in which Kevlar has been utilized
in this century has been the defence industry. Bullet-proof vests, which
used to be made from steel, are now made from fabrics woven from
Kevlar fibres, which look no different from ordinary cloth. Kevlar, thanks
to its shock-absorbing properties, reduces the bullet's force of impact. This
is a most important discovery from the technological point of view, as
well as being a most useful one. Yet despite these excellent properties,
Kevlar fibres' shock-absorbing properties are only one-third of those of
spider silk.
There are important conclusions and warnings here for anyone who
considers the fact that scientific research centres with the most up-to-date
technology have only been able to produce a less-developed imitation of
the silk the spider produces. This contrast is one of the proofs that it was
God who made living creatures with His matchless creative power.