Listening to a Spider's Web
2021-04-21
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1The sound is strange and not of this earth.
2Let's listen.
3But this sound is very much of this earth.
4That is what a spiderweb sounds like.
5Well, that is what a mathematical model of a spiderweb sounds like.
6Markus Buehler is an engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
7He said from communicating to building, spiderwebs offer much information about their creators.
8He explained to Reuters that spiders use "vibrations as a way to communicate with the environment" and with other spiders.
9He said, "We have recorded these vibrations from spiders and used artificial intelligence to learn these vibrational patterns.
10Buehler then explained the scientists connected those patterns with certain actions, "...basically learning the spider's language."
11Buehler and his researchers created 3D models of spiderwebs when the spiders were doing different things -- such as making and repairing their webs as well as hunting and feeding.
12They then listened for patterns in the spider signals and recreated the sounds using computers and mathematical processes.
13"Spiders are a whole different animal," said Buehler.
14He explained they can hear and see things that we cannot with our human ears and eyes.
15So, by using science and math to turn vibrations into music, we begin to experience and better understand the world of the spider.
16Buehler hopes his team's work could help humans to understand the language of a spider and one day communicate with them.
17The music, said Buehler, is what "... the spider would also experience. And so, we can begin to feel a little bit like a spider in that way."
18There are more than 47,000 kinds of spiders.
19They all create these webs to provide housing and catch food.
20Scientists say silk, the material created to from a spiderweb, is five times stronger than steel.
21Buehler said that understanding the living structure of a spiderweb could lead to improvements of man-made materials and structures.
22I'm Anna Matteo.
1The sound is strange and not of this earth. 2Let's listen. 3But this sound is very much of this earth. That is what a spiderweb sounds like. Well, that is what a mathematical model of a spiderweb sounds like. 4Markus Buehler is an engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He said from communicating to building, spiderwebs offer much information about their creators. 5He explained to Reuters that spiders use "vibrations as a way to communicate with the environment" and with other spiders. 6He said, "We have recorded these vibrations from spiders and used artificial intelligence to learn these vibrational patterns. Buehler then explained the scientists connected those patterns with certain actions, "...basically learning the spider's language." 7Buehler and his researchers created 3D models of spiderwebs when the spiders were doing different things -- such as making and repairing their webs as well as hunting and feeding. They then listened for patterns in the spider signals and recreated the sounds using computers and mathematical processes. 8"Spiders are a whole different animal," said Buehler. He explained they can hear and see things that we cannot with our human ears and eyes. So, by using science and math to turn vibrations into music, we begin to experience and better understand the world of the spider. 9Buehler hopes his team's work could help humans to understand the language of a spider and one day communicate with them. 10The music, said Buehler, is what "... the spider would also experience. And so, we can begin to feel a little bit like a spider in that way." 11There are more than 47,000 kinds of spiders. They all create these webs to provide housing and catch food. Scientists say silk, the material created to from a spiderweb, is five times stronger than steel. 12Buehler said that understanding the living structure of a spiderweb could lead to improvements of man-made materials and structures. 13I'm Anna Matteo. 14Reuters staff wrote this story for Reuters News Agency. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 15_____________________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17spiderweb -n. the silken web spun by most spiders and used as a resting place and a trap for prey 18artificial intelligence-n. a branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behavior in computers 19vibration -n. a continuous slight shaking movement : a series of small, fast movements back and forth or from side to side 20pattern -n. the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done 213D -n. a three-dimensional form