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So basically, kitesurfing on a thread. Cool. I've seen flying spiders many times in Poland, and it was fun to watch. Especially because it's not a common knowle

by f055 8y ago

So basically, kitesurfing on a thread. Cool. I've seen flying spiders many times in Poland, and it was fun to watch. Especially because it's not a common knowledge they could do that.

ajuc 8y ago
Pretty much everybody knows that in Poland? The late summer/early autumn is called "Babie lato" (old women's summer) because of thousands of such threads flying in the air and catching on trees etc.
- SpaceInvader 8y ago
  "Babie lato" is Ballooning[0] not old women's summer. It has nothing to do with women, even the old ones ;) [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider)
  - ajuc 8y ago
    Yeah obviosuly, that's why I mentioned it here. I just provided literal translation. It's both a name of the behavior and of that time of year.
  - ansgri 8y ago
    If it is similar to "Бабье лето" [Babyie leto] in Russian, it is quite literally 'Old Women' Summer'. Didn't know it has anything to do with spiders though.
    - stewbrew 8y ago
      BTW in German, it's called exactly that: Altweibersommer (oldwomensummer).
      - seszett 8y ago
        In French it's quite different, the threads are called threads of the Virgin. People would say the Virgin is spinning thread. I haven't really noticed that phenomenon in years though now that I live in a city, I wonder if these expressions will just eventually disappear once too few people live in the countryside.
  - hammock 8y ago
    Looks like "babie lato" has two translations: https://en.pons.com/translate/polish-english/babie+lato https://en.pons.com/translate/polish-english/babie+lato
- gambiting 8y ago
  I'm Polish and even though I have heard the term Babie Lato I have never ever associated it with spiders.
  - ajuc 8y ago
    I thought everybody knew that, we had it explained in primary school, and it's so cool it's hard to forget :)
bitwize 8y ago
In the USA it seems to be relatively common knowledge -- probably because Charlotte, the spider from Charlotte's Web, is one of a species that balloons. It's even a plot point: in the story, much to Wilbur's (the main character, a pig) disappointment after he went to some length to save Charlotte's egg sac, most of her spiderlings ballooned away soon after hatching (but three chose to stay behind).
JumpCrisscross 8y ago
> kitesurfing on a thread Kites are lifting bodies. This is different physics.

by f055 8y ago

So basically, kitesurfing on a thread. Cool. I've seen flying spiders many times in Poland, and it was fun to watch. Especially because it's not a common knowledge they could do that.

ajuc 8y ago

Pretty much everybody knows that in Poland? The late summer/early autumn is called "Babie lato" (old women's summer) because of thousands of such threads flying in the air and catching on trees etc.

SpaceInvader 8y ago
"Babie lato" is Ballooning[0] not old women's summer. It has nothing to do with women, even the old ones ;) [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider)
- ajuc 8y ago
  Yeah obviosuly, that's why I mentioned it here. I just provided literal translation. It's both a name of the behavior and of that time of year.
- ansgri 8y ago
  If it is similar to "Бабье лето" [Babyie leto] in Russian, it is quite literally 'Old Women' Summer'. Didn't know it has anything to do with spiders though.
  - stewbrew 8y ago
    BTW in German, it's called exactly that: Altweibersommer (oldwomensummer).
    - seszett 8y ago
      In French it's quite different, the threads are called threads of the Virgin. People would say the Virgin is spinning thread. I haven't really noticed that phenomenon in years though now that I live in a city, I wonder if these expressions will just eventually disappear once too few people live in the countryside.
- hammock 8y ago
  Looks like "babie lato" has two translations: https://en.pons.com/translate/polish-english/babie+lato https://en.pons.com/translate/polish-english/babie+lato
gambiting 8y ago
I'm Polish and even though I have heard the term Babie Lato I have never ever associated it with spiders.
- ajuc 8y ago
  I thought everybody knew that, we had it explained in primary school, and it's so cool it's hard to forget :)

bitwize 8y ago

In the USA it seems to be relatively common knowledge -- probably because Charlotte, the spider from Charlotte's Web, is one of a species that balloons. It's even a plot point: in the story, much to Wilbur's (the main character, a pig) disappointment after he went to some length to save Charlotte's egg sac, most of her spiderlings ballooned away soon after hatching (but three chose to stay behind).

JumpCrisscross 8y ago

> kitesurfing on a thread Kites are lifting bodies. This is different physics.