Military researchers think spider silk may keep US troops lighter and cooler in combat

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• Researchers are looking at ways to lighten the load troops carry in the field and better regulate their temperatures.
• Synthetics like artificial spider silk are one material they're looking at for that purpose.
• Scientists have often found military applications in strange substances found in nature or made in labs.

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The silk spiders produce is tougher than Kevlar and more flexible than nylon, and Air Force researchers think it could it could be key to creating new materials that take the load and heat off troops in the field.

Scientists at the Air Force Research Lab and Purdue University have been examining natural silk to get a sense of its ability to regulate temperature — silk can drop 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit through passive radiative cooling, which means radiating more heat than it absorbs, according to an Air Force news release.See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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