Spider .. .. ... cobweb

For sure, you have read and still remember that story associated by Spiders!

 

Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other orders of organisms.  Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except for Antarctica.    

 

To me, more interesting was the ‘Spider Camera’ used in Cricket matches, I first saw them  at Chepauk . Spider camera is an  aerial device that is suspended with the help of cables tied to the floodlight pillars, the spider cam is meant to enhance the television viewing experience for those who prefer watching the match in the comforts of their homes. The idea is to keep moving the camera continuously to cover all angles and capture every vital moment in the game, thereby making the live telecast of a match much more interesting.  The four pronged cables allows the camera to move both vertically and horizontally over a predetermined area.  The name "Spidercam" is a trademark. 

Children know better, ‘Spider-Man’ – the fictional character, a comic book superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in 1962. Spider-Man's creators gave him super strength and agility, the ability to cling to most surfaces, shoot spider-webs using wrist-mounted devices of his own invention (which he called "web-shooters"), and react to danger quickly with his "spider-sense", enabling him to combat his foes. 

A spider web  or cobweb (from the archaic word coppe, meaning "spider") is a structure created by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets, generally meant to catch its prey.  Spider webs have existed for at least 100 million years, as witnessed in a rare find of Early Cretaceous amber from Sussex, in southern England.  Many spiders build webs specifically to trap and catch insects to eat. However, not all spiders catch their prey in webs, and some do not build webs at all. "Spider web" is typically used to refer to a web that is apparently still in use (i.e. clean), whereas "cobweb" refers to abandoned (i.e. dusty) webs.  However, the word "cobweb" is also used by biologists to describe the tangled three-dimensional web  of some spiders of the family Theridiidae.  

 

In Economics, the  cobweb model or cobweb theory is an economic model that explains why prices might be subject to periodic fluctuations in certain types of markets.  It describes cyclical supply and demand in a market where the amount produced must be chosen before prices are observed. Producers' expectations about prices are assumed to be based on observations of previous prices. Nicholas Kaldor analyzed the model in 1934, coining the term "cobweb theorem".  The cobweb model is generally based on a time lag between supply and demand decisions. Agricultural markets are a context where the cobweb model might apply, since there is a lag between planting and harvesting.     

Long long ago, there lived a king in  Scotland, by name Robert Bruce.   The King of England was at war with him, and had led a great army into Scotland to drive him out of the land.  He fought one battle after the other and was defeated every time.    Bruce led his brave little army against his foes;  but was beaten a no. of times.   At last his army was scattered, and he was forced to hide himself in the woods and in lonely places among the mountains. 

One rainy day, Bruce lay on the ground under a rude shed, listening to the patter of the drops on the roof above him. He was tired and sick at heart, and ready to give up all hope. It seemed to him that there was no use for him to try to do anything more.  As he was on the ground looking at roof, he saw a spider trying to weave its web.  She was trying to reach the beam, failed and fell down .. .. but after every fall, it tried to get up and reach the same poll again.  After many such attempts too, Spider did not lose hope and did not give up.   Watching it  Bruce forgot his own troubles and started wonder whether it would succeed at all or give up .. .. it did succeed after many futile attempts.  

Spider provided a spark to Bruce.  If the little creature would not give up after many failures, would I ??”   He mustered a few bravemen and fought  the King of England and won too.   

Nice moral story and what would we do when drowned with failures !

 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
12.1.2023