a bit more on spider webs

Spider silk is stronger than steel, more elastic than nylon; to break under its own weight a strand would have to be over 40 miles long. It’s thin enough to be workable, almost light enough to float, and can withstand low temperatures. The ancient Greeks used spider silk very effectively to staunch bleeding wounds, as have soldiers in the Vietnam War and other modern conflicts. New Guinean natives use spider webs for fishing nets. Up until World War II spider silk was used for the cross hairs in gun sights and optical instruments.