60秒科学:NASA Scanner Offers Clues To Whale Hearing

NASA Scanner Offers Clues To Whale Hearing
Researchers at UC San Diego and San Diego State University have imaged whale skulls¹ in an attempt to determine the effects of sonar on whale hearing. Cynthia Graber reports

It really is rocket science—researchers are using huge x-ray scanners from NASA to understand how sonar might be affecting the hearing of large ocean mammals. These scanners are usually used to inspect the space shuttle’s solid fuel rockets.

Navy sonar has been accused of harming the hearing of large marine² mammals such as whales and dolphins. So Navy-sponsored researchers at San Diego State University and UC San Diego developed a method of using the NASA machines on whale skulls.

By scanning male beaked³ whale skulls, the researchers imaged the whale hearing apparatus⁴ in 3D. Then they modeled how sound would interact with the anatomy⁵. And then they investigated how that sound-anatomy interaction would be affected⁶ by sonar.

The computer model finds that mid-frequency sonar is mostly filtered out for the whales, while the higher frequencies the animals use for hunting appear to be unimpeded by sonar. Now they say they need to verify the system by testing it on animals such as dolphins, for which we have better hearing records. Scientists say this technology could allow a peek—or an eavesdrop—into how all sorts of marine creatures hear the world around them.
 

1 skulls   

颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜

参考例句：

• One of the women's skulls found exceeds in capacity that of the average man of today. 现已发现的女性颅骨中，其中有一个的脑容量超过了今天的普通男子。
• We could make a whole plain white with skulls in the moonlight! 我们便能令月光下的平原变白，遍布白色的骷髅！

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 beaked   

adj.有喙的，鸟嘴状的

参考例句：

• A Fox invited a long-beaked Stork to have dinner with him. 狐狸请长嘴鹳同他一起吃饭。 来自互联网
• Most of the other fossils come from rhynchosaurs (parrot-beaked reptiles). 其他大部分化石来自剪嘴龙（嘴像鹦鹉的爬行动物）。 来自互联网

4 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

5 anatomy   

n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织

参考例句：

• He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
• The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。