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Silkworms that eat carbon nanotubes and graphene spin tougher silk

cen.acs.org

61–70 of 74 posts

Re: Silkworms that eat carbon nanotubes and graphene spin tougher silk

#61
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... because they're boiled alive as soon as they finish their cocoons. But maybe you mean teratogenic effects on humans?

uh... can you expand on this? What do you mean they are boiled? (ill go google - but please explain) EDIT: oh... no thanks! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beondegi

Not that, boiling is a step to produce silk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk#Production_process

Re: Silkworms that eat carbon nanotubes and graphene spin tougher silk

#62

Geez. This will make its way into the food supply. Remember, some South Koreans (and maybe other East Asian cultures) eat silkworm pupae for food. Cheap protein, and there's no need to waste calories in that culture.

ya eating crickets is also supposed to be protein dense, its good thing tho, because red meats are devastating to the eco system. Id be down to try some cricket flower cookies :D

CBC article I recall hearing a few years ago on that subject: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cricket-farmer-says-crop-cou...

The ratio that they give is 2:1 for feed to "meat" (hogs need 5:1, cows are 10-15:1) and for water consumption its 1/10th of traditional meats.

Glancing at the prices on Amazon for cricket flour however, its still _way_ above other protein sources in terms of cost.

Re: Silkworms that eat carbon nanotubes and graphene spin tougher silk

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some reason, attempts at humour here on HN never leave readers indifferent. I should say thank you, I was very tempted by a 'reel of transistors' version.

I'm not really addressing this to you, I just have a lot of thoughts on this. I feel bad about the downvotes in individual cases, but the culture of easy, repetitive, or just plain bad jokes is a big part of what turned Slashdot from my favorite site into a cesspit that wasn't worth visiting, so I think they're a necessary mechanism. The trick for this site is to make a good joke. If the topic is well-worn, it has to…

Of course I understand all the good reasons you are giving, but I'd think you are taking it all too seriously.

People sometimes post bad jokes on HN for the same reason they tell them in face -- feeling lonely, sometimes desperately lonely, maybe even feeling rejected, trying to be part of it, knowing the joke is not so great but trying anyway.

And you know, if I can somehow help those people, even at risk of being biased in the wrong direction, I couldn't care less if HN becomes Shashdot. Every forum lives its life and then dies, and we all move on.

But that's me, others are entitled to other opinions.

Re: Silkworms that eat carbon nanotubes and graphene spin tougher silk

#65
post #22
post #2

I sense a new explanation for Spiderman's webs on the next reboot. But seriously, are we anywhere close to using this stuff for human benefit? Or near learning how these worms do what they do? This sounds fabulously awesome.

Space elevator! Monopolize space

Not saying I support the idea of monopolizing space, but whoever builds one first with that savings in price... Imagine if McDonalds found a special ingredient from space to add to their burgers and McDonalds is the one who builds a space elevator. Hahaha

Alright I'll see myself out.

Re: Silkworms that eat carbon nanotubes and graphene spin tougher silk

#66
post #65
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Space elevator! Monopolize space

Not saying I support the idea of monopolizing space, but whoever builds one first with that savings in price... Imagine if McDonalds found a special ingredient from space to add to their burgers and McDonalds is the one who builds a space elevator. Hahaha Alright I'll see myself out.

cf. The Stuff!

Re: Silkworms that eat carbon nanotubes and graphene spin tougher silk

#69
post #9
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, they are: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23751780 http://www.psr.org/environment-and-health/environmental-heal... The mechanism is similar to that of asbestos.

Unless dissolved in olive oil, then it has lifespan extending properties. https://alzdiscovery.org/cognitive-vitality/report/fullerene...

No that's C60 which is 60 carbon atoms in the shape of a geodesic dome. Carbon Nanotubes are completely different, they are long and stringy and get tangled up in cells and break them and can't be removed.

Re: Silkworms that eat carbon nanotubes and graphene spin tougher silk

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some reason, attempts at humour here on HN never leave readers indifferent. I should say thank you, I was very tempted by a 'reel of transistors' version.

I'm not really addressing this to you, I just have a lot of thoughts on this. I feel bad about the downvotes in individual cases, but the culture of easy, repetitive, or just plain bad jokes is a big part of what turned Slashdot from my favorite site into a cesspit that wasn't worth visiting, so I think they're a necessary mechanism. The trick for this site is to make a good joke. If the topic is well-worn, it has to…

> I feel bad about the downvotes in individual cases, but the culture of easy, repetitive, or just plain bad jokes is a big part of what turned Slashdot from my favorite site into a cesspit that wasn't worth visiting, so I think they're a necessary mechanism.

I think it was around 2000 or so that I set my Slashdot reading preferences to automod Funny posts -1. That turns +5, Funny "insensitive clod" jokes into +4s, allowing the +5 Everything-besides-Funny posts to bubble up to the top. It's features like that that make the original Slashdot discussion system still the best ever invented (well, back when the meta-moderation worked like it originally did, where you randomly approve or reject moderations, rather than re-moderating comments out-of-context, which isn't meta-moderation at all).

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