Doctor Who: Let’s Talk About Mutant Spiders
Because Everyone Loves a Mutant
“Arachnids in the U.K” was a very Halloweeny episode — full of good scares, spiders, and cobwebs. Mr. Big from Sex In The City appeared, playing a character who I assume was inspired by Trump…and does anyone think there might be a Doctor/Yaz romance in the future or is it just me?
Anyways. All around exciting stuff, eh?
The episode didn’t have any aliens beside The Doctor this time, but dug somewhat more into reality and featured giant mutated spiders. GIANT mutated spiders.
These innocent arachnids were being experimented on in a lab by a Dr. McIntyre and her colleague, Anna. When presumed dead (I’ve always assumed I would die if I was experimented on), the spiders were binned (amazingly, some weren’t actually deceased)— and through various circumstances, ended up thriving and mutating in toxic waste beneath a swanky hotel. Anna then meets a silky death at the hands (legs?) of the devious deviants she helped create.
So, in that vein, let’s talk about some mutated spiders found in real life.
Carbon-Reinforced Silk
Once upon a time, 15 Pholcidae spiders were appropriated from the Italian countryside. They were then taken to a lab where they were sprayed (rude) with water that contained carbon nanotubes and graphene flakes.
What happened next? The spiders wove carbon-infused silk stronger than any known fiber.
Chernobyl Spiders
This one isn’t cool. Humans and animals alike were significantly affected by radiation from the Chernobyl Disaster. The following absence of humans (at the time of this 2016 article, only about 100 people were estimated to live in the exclusion zone) from Chernobyl has allowed wild animals to run undisturbed. But the resulting mutations are worrying — though the worst only occurred right after the incident.
Spiders in this area weave distorted webs, indicating a high possibility of genetic mutation.
A study published in 2009 also shows that the number of spiders has decreased greatly.
Various Legends of Mutated Spiders
The Sun reported on a terrified farmer who came across a freakishly large sheetweb spider in New Zealand. Click here to see his pal’s stunned face. The spider was eventually moved with a garden rake.
This funnel-web spider was, apparently, not supposed to be red.
BONUS: Spider Goats
Nexia Biotechnologies first approached Professor Randy Lewis about exploring other means of producing silk in the early 2000’s.
Fast forward several years, and the earth is now blessed with cutely named goats such as “Pudding” and “Freckles.” The twist is they’ve been spliced with genes from the golden silk orb-weaving spider — and produce about an ounce of spider silk protein per milking.
Even Al Gore is talking about them. Check out this article from Business Insider — where he talks about the spider goats with Neil deGrasse Tyson.
