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| Man and Nature: Conflict Between Time Worlds |
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Animal’s reflexes to danger are different, and the conflict between predators and prey is a conflict between time worlds.
Crocodiles are cold blooded. Their visual and reflex reactions very with temperature. The cold slows down their eyes’ visual chemicals until they no longer register movement. The croc will see fast motion as a blur, but by sunbathing, crocodiles accelerate the chemical reactions in their bodies. And once the croc is a up to see its prey materializes once more. Reaction time is also quick, to match its warm blooded prey. The prey’s vision reacts best to fast motion and can be fooled by slow movements. The final strike pits reaction times against each other.
The Great White Shark is also a cold blooded predator. Its warm blooded prey lives in cold water and so provides a challenge. The Great White Shark hunts only mainly by eye. It can see in semi-darkness with its large saucer-like eyes. Prey can look surprisingly similar. To avoid mistakes the shark must maintain keen vision even in the cold. Its solution is to shunt heat to muscles encircling the eyes. The shark’s eye warmers help check out a victim. Super heated vision makes the difference in the final attack.
译文：动物对危险的反应速度各不相同，而捕食者和猎物的斗争代表着两种时间世界的较量。冷血动物鳄鱼的视觉和反应速度随时间变化而变化。冷水会降低眼球中化学物质的反应速度，使它们不能马上纪录下运动的图像。在鳄鱼眼中，快速动作是一团模糊，但在阳光照耀下，鳄鱼体内的化学反应迅速加快了。鳄鱼一加速，猎物就在劫难逃，为了适应捕杀热血动物的需要，鳄鱼必须在极端时间内做出反应。猎物的视觉器官对快动作反应敏捷，但往往被慢动作欺骗。最后的搏击是双方时间感的较量。大白鲨也是热血食肉动物，它以生活在水中的热血动物为捕杀对象。这对大白鲨是一场挑战。大白鲨主要靠眼睛发现目标，它的眼睛大如茶碟，在昏暗的水下也能看清猎物。所有猎物看上去都惊人的相似，为了防止出错，鲨鱼在冷水中也必须有敏锐的目光。解决办法是把热量分流到眼睛周围的肌肉上。鲨鱼眼睛上的保温组织有助于它识别猎物。视觉器官的温度骤然升高，在最后的关头起了决定作用。
(CCTV-1, Nov 19)
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