Spiders in Space on Skylab 3

Spiders in Space on Skylab 3 Anita and Arabella, two female cross spiders (Araneus diadematus) went into orbit in 1973 for the Skylab 3 space station. Like the STS-107 experiment, the Skylab experiment was a student project. Judy Miles, from Lexington, Massachusetts, wanted to know if spiders could spin webs in near-weightlessness. The experiment was set up so that a spider, released by an astronaut (Owen Garriot) into a box similar to a window frame, would be able to build a web. A camera was positioned to take photos and videos of the webs and spider activities. Three days before the launch, each spider was fed a house fly. They were provided with a water-soaked sponge in their storage vials. The launch took place on July 28, 1973. Both Arabella and Anita needed some time to adapt to near-weightlessness. Neither spider, kept in holding vials, voluntarily entered the experiment cage. Both Arabella and Anita made what has been described as erratic swimming motions upon ejection into the experiment cage. After a day in the spider box, Arabella produced her first rudimentary web in a corner of the frame. The next day, she produced a complete web. These results prompted the crewmembers to extend the initial protocol. They fed the spiders bits of rare filet mignon and provided additional water (note: A. diadematus can survive up to three weeks without food if an adequate water supply is available.) On August 13th, half of Arabellas web was removed, to prompt her to build another. Although she ingested the remainder of the web, she did not build a new one. The spider was provided with water and proceeded to build a new web. This second complete web was more symmetrical than the first full web. Both spiders died during the mission. They both showed evidence of dehydration. When the returned web samples were examined, it was determined that the thread spun in flight was finer than that spun preflight. Although the web patterns made in orbit were not significantly different from those that were built on Earth (aside from a possible unusual distribution of radial angles), there were differences in the characteristics of the thread. In addition to being thinner overall, the silk spun in orbit exhibited variations in thickness, where it was thin in some places and thick in others (on Earth it has a uniform width). The start and stop nature of the silk appeared to be an adaptation of the spider to control the elasticity of the silk and resulting web. Spiders in Space Since Skylab After the Skylab experiment, Space Technology and Research Students (STARS) conducted a study on spiders planned for STS-93 and STS-107. This was an Australian experiment designed and conducted by students from Glen Waverley Secondary College to test the reaction garden orb weaver spiders to near-weightlessness. Unfortunately, STS-107 was the ill-fated, catastrophic launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia. CSI-01 started on ISS Expedition 14 and was completed on ISS Expedition 15. CSI-02 was performed on ISS Expeditions 15 through 17. The International Space Station (ISS) conducted two well-publicized experiments on spiders . The first investigation was Commercial Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert Number 3 or CSI-03. CSI-03 launched to the ISS on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on November 14, 2008. The habitat included two orb weaver spiders (Larinioides patagiatus or genus Metepeira), which students could view from Earth to compare the feeding and web-building of the spiders in space against those housed in classrooms. The orb weaver species were selected based on the symmetrical webs they weave on Earth. The spiders appeared to thrive in near-weightlessness. The second experiment to house spiders on the ISS was CSI-05. The goal of the spider experiment was to examine the changes in web construction over time (45 days). Again, students had the opportunity to compare the activities of spiders in space with those in classrooms. CSI-05 used golden orb weaver spiders (Nephila claviceps), which produce golden yellow silk and different webs from the orb weavers on CSI-03. Again, the spiders constructed webs and also successfully caught fruit flies as prey. Golden orb weaver spiders were selected for CSI-05. Joe Raedle / Getty Images Sources Witt, P. N., M. B. Scarboro, D. B. Peakall, and R. Gause. (1977) Spider web-building in outer space: Evaluation of records from the Skylab spider experiment. Am. J. Arachnol. 4:115.

Im a Caregiver How Do I Have Time to Write

Im a Caregiver How Do I Have Time to Write Sixty-five million (29 percent of) Americans are caregivers, spending an average of 20 hours a week caring for a loved one. Perhaps you’re one of them. The demands are often so great, you wonder how you can ever have time to write. I’ve been a caregiver since 1984 when my husband retired at the age of 48 after a massive heart attack. I also helped care for my stepdad and elderly uncle until their deaths, and am now helping my widowed sister who’s losing her eyesight. During that time I’ve published nine books, along with articles and short stories. Here are some hints that may help a writing caregiver: 1. Write when you can. Seldom can caregiver writers rely on having a whole day to write. But if possible, get up 15 minutes earlier or stay up 15 minutes later. Fifteen minutes a day, five days a week, adds up to sixty-five hours a year - and thats a lot of extra time to write. Write when your loved one is taking a nap. Use the time you spend waiting in line at the supermarket to read the titles on magazine covers to see what type of articles they use on a regular basis. Watch and listen to the people around you. (This is a good idea in a doctors office too.) Don’t complain if you don’t have time to write. I moaned about this fact after my husband had an especiallybad year healthwise, and I sensed a quiet voice within saying, â€Å"Someday you’ll have all the time you want, and you won’t want it.† 2. Write where you can. I’ve written and edited in doctors’ offices. The ICU my husband was in over Christmas one year had a built-in desk in the corner, giving me a place to work. If you can find a family member or friend to relieve you one or two hours a week, take your laptop to the public library or a near 3. Write any way you can. Flying out-of-state to care for my mother after her cancer surgery, I handwrote three short stories on the plane, typing them up when I got to my hometown. When I returned home eight weeks later, I found checks waiting. Up until that time I felt I had to be at my keyboard to write. 4. Write what you can. Use your caregiver experiences as springboards for short stories, articles, or books. I wrote one article titled â€Å"Living with a Disabled Husband† (later re-titled â€Å"When Your Golden Years Aren’t Golden†) which has sold a number of times in religious and secular publications. My book The Freedom of Letting Go contains a chapter on letting go of health issues that includes caregiver stories, and I’m now working on a book for caregivers. Sharing your experiences and what you’ve learned through caregiving can help a lot of readers as they know that you’ve been there, done that. 5. Take notes. If you simply cannot find the time to write, at least jot down ideas and outlines. Then when those precious free moments appear, you won’t find yourself staring at a blank screen. Being a caregiver doesn’t mean you have to give up writing which can lead to resentment. It just means you use your time wisely. Taking time to do what you feel called to do and what you enjoy doing will make you a more loving caregiver - and a more insightful writer.

Im a Caregiver How Do I Have Time to Write

Im a Caregiver How Do I Have Time to Write Sixty-five million (29 percent of) Americans are caregivers, spending an average of 20 hours a week caring for a loved one. Perhaps you’re one of them. The demands are often so great, you wonder how you can ever have time to write. I’ve been a caregiver since 1984 when my husband retired at the age of 48 after a massive heart attack. I also helped care for my stepdad and elderly uncle until their deaths, and am now helping my widowed sister who’s losing her eyesight. During that time I’ve published nine books, along with articles and short stories. Here are some hints that may help a writing caregiver: 1. Write when you can. Seldom can caregiver writers rely on having a whole day to write. But if possible, get up 15 minutes earlier or stay up 15 minutes later. Fifteen minutes a day, five days a week, adds up to sixty-five hours a year - and thats a lot of extra time to write. Write when your loved one is taking a nap. Use the time you spend waiting in line at the supermarket to read the titles on magazine covers to see what type of articles they use on a regular basis. Watch and listen to the people around you. (This is a good idea in a doctors office too.) Don’t complain if you don’t have time to write. I moaned about this fact after my husband had an especiallybad year healthwise, and I sensed a quiet voice within saying, â€Å"Someday you’ll have all the time you want, and you won’t want it.† 2. Write where you can. I’ve written and edited in doctors’ offices. The ICU my husband was in over Christmas one year had a built-in desk in the corner, giving me a place to work. If you can find a family member or friend to relieve you one or two hours a week, take your laptop to the public library or a near 3. Write any way you can. Flying out-of-state to care for my mother after her cancer surgery, I handwrote three short stories on the plane, typing them up when I got to my hometown. When I returned home eight weeks later, I found checks waiting. Up until that time I felt I had to be at my keyboard to write. 4. Write what you can. Use your caregiver experiences as springboards for short stories, articles, or books. I wrote one article titled â€Å"Living with a Disabled Husband† (later re-titled â€Å"When Your Golden Years Aren’t Golden†) which has sold a number of times in religious and secular publications. My book The Freedom of Letting Go contains a chapter on letting go of health issues that includes caregiver stories, and I’m now working on a book for caregivers. Sharing your experiences and what you’ve learned through caregiving can help a lot of readers as they know that you’ve been there, done that. 5. Take notes. If you simply cannot find the time to write, at least jot down ideas and outlines. Then when those precious free moments appear, you won’t find yourself staring at a blank screen. Being a caregiver doesn’t mean you have to give up writing which can lead to resentment. It just means you use your time wisely. Taking time to do what you feel called to do and what you enjoy doing will make you a more loving caregiver - and a more insightful writer.

Im a Caregiver How Do I Have Time to Write

Im a Caregiver How Do I Have Time to Write Sixty-five million (29 percent of) Americans are caregivers, spending an average of 20 hours a week caring for a loved one. Perhaps you’re one of them. The demands are often so great, you wonder how you can ever have time to write. I’ve been a caregiver since 1984 when my husband retired at the age of 48 after a massive heart attack. I also helped care for my stepdad and elderly uncle until their deaths, and am now helping my widowed sister who’s losing her eyesight. During that time I’ve published nine books, along with articles and short stories. Here are some hints that may help a writing caregiver: 1. Write when you can. Seldom can caregiver writers rely on having a whole day to write. But if possible, get up 15 minutes earlier or stay up 15 minutes later. Fifteen minutes a day, five days a week, adds up to sixty-five hours a year - and thats a lot of extra time to write. Write when your loved one is taking a nap. Use the time you spend waiting in line at the supermarket to read the titles on magazine covers to see what type of articles they use on a regular basis. Watch and listen to the people around you. (This is a good idea in a doctors office too.) Don’t complain if you don’t have time to write. I moaned about this fact after my husband had an especiallybad year healthwise, and I sensed a quiet voice within saying, â€Å"Someday you’ll have all the time you want, and you won’t want it.† 2. Write where you can. I’ve written and edited in doctors’ offices. The ICU my husband was in over Christmas one year had a built-in desk in the corner, giving me a place to work. If you can find a family member or friend to relieve you one or two hours a week, take your laptop to the public library or a near 3. Write any way you can. Flying out-of-state to care for my mother after her cancer surgery, I handwrote three short stories on the plane, typing them up when I got to my hometown. When I returned home eight weeks later, I found checks waiting. Up until that time I felt I had to be at my keyboard to write. 4. Write what you can. Use your caregiver experiences as springboards for short stories, articles, or books. I wrote one article titled â€Å"Living with a Disabled Husband† (later re-titled â€Å"When Your Golden Years Aren’t Golden†) which has sold a number of times in religious and secular publications. My book The Freedom of Letting Go contains a chapter on letting go of health issues that includes caregiver stories, and I’m now working on a book for caregivers. Sharing your experiences and what you’ve learned through caregiving can help a lot of readers as they know that you’ve been there, done that. 5. Take notes. If you simply cannot find the time to write, at least jot down ideas and outlines. Then when those precious free moments appear, you won’t find yourself staring at a blank screen. Being a caregiver doesn’t mean you have to give up writing which can lead to resentment. It just means you use your time wisely. Taking time to do what you feel called to do and what you enjoy doing will make you a more loving caregiver - and a more insightful writer.