There are many animals in the world that have been co-opted for production of textiles called silks. The thing that characterizes silk is a certain molecular weight and a run of modules of a protein. But then there's also another type of silk that I wrote about called bistus, which is sea silk. It's sort of not spun like a moth or a spider does, but blow moulded from the foot of the bivalve to anchor it to the sea.
Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium are the stars of Ed Conway’s book, Material World. He tells Tom Sutcliffe how they built our world, from the Dark Ages to the present day. And how much the battle to secure them will shape our geopolitical future.
The science writer Aarathi Prasad focuses on one of the world’s strongest biological materials ever known – Silk. In her latest book she explores the ancient origins of silk, its global reach, and how it continues to inspire new technologies – from pharmaceuticals to holograms.
And materials and how different civilisations use them are at the heart of the British Museum’s exhibition, Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece (until 13th August). The curator, Jamie Fraser, highlights the perceived excesses of the Persian empire – with its abundance of gold, finely crafted pottery and frankincense – in direct contrast to the plainer tastes of their Greek victors.
Producer: Katy Hickman