Scroop, luster, and hand : the science and sensuality of silk
Name
64637778-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
2.42 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
2946aebe9fd1b4bb6a0c052b7e4a02cc
Author(s)
Boyce, Jennifer E. (Jennifer Elaine)
Advisor(s)
Robert Kanigel.
Alternative Title
Science and sensuality of silk
Date Issued
2005
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
For five thousand years, silk threads have woven through the fabric of human history. Since its accidental discovery in China all that time ago, silk has played roles, major or minor, in many cultures. In both the East and the West, it has cropped up in some rather unexpected places. Silk's molecular structure, unique among natural fibers, imparts equally unique physical and chemical properties. It is these properties that give silk the versatility and functionality of which such staying power is made. Its strength and resilience make silk valuable as a material, whether for body armor or contraceptive devices. Its low conductivity made it an excellent insulator for early electrical applications, and silk's hydrophilic nature make it comfortable to wear in hot weather. The list goes on. Silk's appeal goes far beyond the practical, however. As a luxury good, it wordlessly signals the high economic status of its wearer. But perhaps silk's most profound attractions are aesthetic. The rustling scroop, the rich luster, and the soft hand are all products of science, but they appeal to the senses as well as the mind. It is remarkable that one fiber can do so much.
(cont.) To fully grasp just how remarkable requires an appreciation of both the science and sensuality of silk. They are inseparably interwoven.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, 2005.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-45).
Subjects
Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies.
MIT Department
MIT Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies
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