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Cyborg sharks: The military has a new toyAshley Bennett 
Move over Jaws, you are no competition for the stealthy and incredibly intelligent cyborg sharks of the future. The picture to the left might cause you to burst out laughing because you know its only a Photoshop masterpiece, but what if I were to tell you that there are scientists and engineers working to make such a fictitious image a reality... What Type of toy are we talking about?Sharks are quite remarkable creatures, physically streamlined to glide through the water without being detected, an incredible sense of smell, remarkably good eyesight, and the ability to detect electrical and magnetic fields (Michaelidis, 2007). Unfortunately, sharks have a pretty bad reputation as being mindless, unintelligent, hungry monsters, who love the taste of human flesh. Such a description could not be farther from the truth; in my opinion, if you want to put on a black wetsuit, lay down on a surf board, and look like a yummy morsel, helplessly floating on the ocean's surface, you're asking for it and better understand the possible consequences. Consider the following...  
WHO'S WHO: The picture on the right is an image of a sea turtle from below, and the picture on the left is an image of a surfer from below. Basically, the shark observes similar features and unfortunately for the surfer, turtle-shape equals lunch. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: There have been several documented cases where sharks bite humans due to such food/shape confusion. Generally, after biting the shark realizes that it has made some mistake, releases, and swims away. A LITTLE TRIVIA: It has been suggested that the number of deaths caused by falling coconuts is 10 times the number of deaths caused by shark attacks. If that isn't believable try to guess the US's most dangerous animal |