Nature continues to surprise us. Researchers have long wondered how dolphin echolocation can outperf
Nature continues to surprise us. Researchers have long wondered how dolphin echolocation can outperform comparable manmade systems, but may have learned one of the dolphin’s sonar secrets: they don’t look directly at their prey! When dolphins echolocate, they generate multiple ultrasonic beams at different frequencies, each with a different width. Until recently, it was believed that they would point these beams directly at their target, but new research shows they actually aim about 7º off. By doing this, they take advantage of the difference between the beam widths, placing the edge of whatever they are looking at on the border between their narrowest beam and the second narrowest. Not only is this trick extremely effective, but calculations show that it’s mathematically optimal! Just another example of nature teaching us something new. (Image and article credit Laura Kloepper, et al) -- source link
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