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       When little children get hurt, the first thing they usually ask for is a Band-Aid to make their wounds feel better. However, have you ever wondered what people used to cover wounds before Band-Aids were invented? Band-Aids have only been around since the 1920s, but people have been getting hurt for much longer than that. How people treated their wounds in the past may come as a surprise. In addition to cloth bandages, people often covered and cured their wounds with cobwebs.

       Cobwebs are made by members of the spider family called Theridiidae. These spiders do not spin typical webs that look like concentric polygons. Instead, these spiders spin a random, sticky, crisscrossed net in which they trap their prey. Most people associate cobwebs with a messy house mainly because of the dust that gathers on the adhesive strands of cobwebs. Yet, although it might appear untidy, the presence of cobwebs does not suggest an unhealthy space. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Many types of cobwebs are laced with penicillin, fungi that contain antibiotic properties. Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, came across the fungi when working with a colleague’s cobweb collection.

      When the cobwebs containing penicillin came into contact with some bacteria samples, the growth of the bacteria was stopped, and the bacteria samples died. The discovery of penicillin for use as an antibiotic changed the face of modern medicine because it helped treat many serious diseases. That explains why cobweb bandages were known for generations as a medical cure. Not only did the webbing help to coagulate the liquid on the wound, but it also contained penicillin, a powerful antibiotic that aided in the healing process. By using cobwebs to cover wounds, people with injuries were using antibiotics without even realizing it.

       Cobwebs appear in the stories of many cultures. These days, cobwebs are used as spooky decorations in Halloween scenes or bring a sense of frustration during people’s spring-cleaning. Next time, when you reach up to clean a dusty crevice, try not to feel frustrated but remember such a medical treasure tangled in your broom.

        “Green building” is a popular term these days. But what does that really mean, and who decides whether a building is green or not? In the United States, there is no governing body which says: “This building is green and that one isnʼt.” The Environmental Protection Agency does have a definition in place, though. According to the EPA, green buildings are structures that use natural resources efficiently and in a sustainable way.

       You might think that this is a new or very modern idea, but it actually dates back half a century. In the 1970s, buildings that used the modern “green” architecture concepts began to appear. For instance, the Willis Faber and Dumas Headquarters building in England had a grass roof. It also had a large center hall that was lit by natural light. In California, the Gregory Bateson Building was one of the first constructions to use solar cells to store energy from the sun.

       In the following decade, people were starting to realize that besides helping the environment, green buildings could also save them money on their heating, cooling, and electric bills. Solar panels became more widely used for a renewable source of electricity. Buildings also began to be equipped with rainwater collection systems. In another decade’s time, even the White House itself was undergoing the process of turning green. Experts believe that, since 1996, the White House has saved US$300,000 a year in energy and water costs.

       Today, green architecture is taking off all over the world. There is even a Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, which was founded in 2006. It is handed out each year to five architects who design the most revolutionary and innovative green buildings. One of the winners in 2023, Xu Tiantian of China, is known for her “Architectural Acupuncture,” a holistic approach to the social and economic revitalization of rural China. In the future, more architects are expected to join this green trend.