Spider shows 3D printers what’s what, sculpts giant replica of self

New spider species knows a thing or two about 3D printing, sculpts giant replica of self

A likely new species of arachnid has been discovered with the astonishing ability to "print" an elaborate version of itself to scare away predators. Though other species in the Cyclosa genus make crude decoys, they pale next to the level of detail shown by the newfound spider, which even shakes its webs to make the faux-arthropod creations look more lively. Spotted in a Peru rainforest by biologist Phil Torres, the tiny artisan creates its icky oeuvres using old egg sacs, vegetation and insect carcases in lieu of PLA, crafting canny maxi-me versions complete with features like legs (count 'em in the scary example above). According to samples snapped by Torres at the source, it seems to show a level of self-awareness that might give you pause before your next squish.

[Image credit: Phil Torres]

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Via: Wired

Source: Rainforest Expeditions Blog

Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice

Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.

Altweek 101312 is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice

Are you reading this? Seriously, are you? Sure, we know you think you are, but what if you're just a sub-feature of a complex computer program. A sprite, nothing more than the creation of software. The problem with this question is, how would you ever know? You wouldn't, right? Well, not so fast there. Turns out, maybe there is a way to unravel the matrix (if there is one). It'll come as no surprise, that this is one of the topics in this week's collection of alternative stories. Think that's all we got? Not even close. We'll explore the truth behind cloning dinosaurs, as well a rare performance by singing mice -- all before dinner. Or is it really dinner? This is alt-week.

Continue reading Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice

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Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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