Page 99 - The Miracle in the Spider

Webs, a Wonder of Planing 99

web of the Central American Argiope spider. These spiders place shiny
white zig-zag markings on their webs. These markings are warnings to
birds, reminding them not to venture inside the web. The spiders also use
these markings to hide behind. The spider waits behind these markings
and in this way prevents the prey from seeing it.

Models Inspired by Spiders' Webs
Nowadays one very popular method of making industrial plans is to
use examples from nature. That is because models in nature are flawless
in every way. Inter alia, energy-saving properties, aesthetic qualities,
flawless practicality, and the manoeuvrability essential to a plan already
exist in perfect form in nature. Models which man produces with his own
capabilities and the knowledge gleaned over long years and as a result of
difficult processes, do not generally go beyond being poor imitations of

their counterparts in nature. This can be easily seen when we compare
these imitations with nature's originals.
Spiders are one of the living creatures taken as an example. For

The roof of the Munich Olympic Stadium was inspired by spider webs. In this
way the various tensions are evenly distributed over the roof.