tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308340212121889567.post4646720238401930377..comments2024-03-11T09:53:09.705+03:00Comments on Empires of the mind.: Hunting in the darkTerry Kiddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888160718812027224noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308340212121889567.post-87699962868739763742009-09-15T18:41:57.332+03:002009-09-15T18:41:57.332+03:00That's a lot of chaff for one blog...
Apparen...That's a lot of chaff for one blog...<br /><br />Apparently us humans can learn how to navigate in a darkened room using echolation. You use your tongue to create a certain type of click, and listen carefully.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06148288423567758295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308340212121889567.post-40793862206475299282009-09-13T11:24:32.335+03:002009-09-13T11:24:32.335+03:00Yes, social bats would make a good SF idea. Thinki...Yes, social bats would make a good SF idea. Thinking about how stealth and networking is used. AWACS tracks a target and transmits coordinates to a 'silent' Stealth fighter. The Stealth closes to best missile range and lets one go.<br /><br />I can imagine mummy bat 'roosting', but trasmitting a loud, periodic blast of ultrasound. Meanwhile, daddy bat, flying silently but knowing where the transmitter is, can direction find on the echoes, and work out the range, he'll hear the primary sound and the echo. He then closes on the juicy and unaware moth.Terry Kiddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03888160718812027224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308340212121889567.post-51827256222629199262009-09-12T12:37:47.988+03:002009-09-12T12:37:47.988+03:00Great post. I didn't know about the fact they ...Great post. I didn't know about the fact they could tell different aircraft from their 'radio propeller wash'. Nor did I know that bats frequency-hop.<br /><br />On the 'networked hunting' point, I'm struck that if it's something that's not evolved on earth (I suspect it has in other species, but maybe not) or even if it is, it would be a great thing to build an SF species around.<br /><br />ColumColumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04780753778872137937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308340212121889567.post-18433026776507619602009-09-11T14:58:31.386+03:002009-09-11T14:58:31.386+03:00Hi Terry,
This is very interesting material about...Hi Terry,<br /><br />This is very interesting material about the bat. There is a wonderful book by a woman named Janine Benyus that is called Biomimicry: Inoovation Inspired by Nature that I began to read a few years ago and it talks about how we can learn all sorts of things from nature. Nature has spent eons designing and honing solutions to some of the problems that we are looking for solutions to. For instance the "glue" that attaches the shells of clams and whatnot to rocks is exceptional strong and water tight. Could we find something similar by analyzing it? Another example is a mechanism to turn solar panels towards the sun based on the way that sunflowers face the sun has been developed. Gecko tape was developed based on the sticky hairs on the pads of gecko feet that allows them to adhere to walls.<br /><br />There is much wisdom in nature and more examples of humble engineering.Annette Bowmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10550559452745322804noreply@blogger.com