space elevators

[Killer Wolf]

http://www.boreme.com/posting.php?id=29298

they should use spider webs, be cheaper

[JensAyton]

they should use spider webs, be cheaper

It’s nowhere near strong enough. Also, if you wanted to complete the cable in, say, five years, you’d need spiders that could produce 80 km of silk per day in completely seamless, continuous strands. :-)

[ClymAngus]

So, where were the spyders?

[DaddyHoggy]

they should use spider webs, be cheaper

It’s nowhere near strong enough. Also, if you wanted to complete the cable in, say, five years, you’d need spiders that could produce 80 km of silk per day in completely seamless, continuous strands.

Doesn't meet your criteria, but its a start!

http://www.gizmag.com/spider-silk-produ ... ped/18387/

[Killer Wolf]

i'd say it was strong enough (10x stronger than steel apparently), esp if woven. it's lighter too. and spiders are cheaper than nanotubes.

[JensAyton]

i'd say it was strong enough (10x stronger than steel apparently), esp if woven.

Carbon nanotubes are on the order of 250 times stronger than steel, and the proposed carbon nanotube composite ribbon would still only be able to lift a few tens of tonnes. Spider silk isn’t in the ball game.

[Commander McLane]

i'd say it was strong enough (10x stronger than steel apparently), esp if woven. it's lighter too. and spiders are cheaper than nanotubes.

I thought they said in the videos that the material had to be at least 30 times stronger than steel? That would disqualify the spiders, regardless of being cheaper.

[Killer Wolf]

>:-\

[Smivs]

they should use spider webs, be cheaper

It’s nowhere near strong enough.

Depends on the spider.