Youthful Fun Animal Science

Author: Chen Tianchang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: When I conceived and wrote this small book, I didn’t intend to provide a comprehensive and systematic explanation of animals, as that is the task of textbooks and dictionaries. As an extracurricular reading material for primary and secondary school students, I deliberately selected interesting materials on animal ecology, morphology, and behavior to enhance the readability and of the book. This was inspired by the famous science popularizer, Beliaevman, and his masterpiece, "The Physics." In a long article, I mentioned that "he wrote 'The Physics' with great care in selecting materials, covering only highly engaging and interesting knowledge, such as how ancient priests deceived people with fake rituals to prove the non-existence of perpetual motion machines. He also drew on materials from Jules Verne’s science fiction works to increase readers' interest. Sometimes, he presented very common knowledge from unexpected angles, such as explaining the relationship between speed, mass, and energy by showing how throwing a watermelon in front of a speeding car could turn it into a 'watermelon bomb.' Beliaevman always wrote each section in just a few hundred or a thousand words, categorizing and arranging these sections. Although there was no obvious connection between them, they formed an engaging book about physics." The conception and overall arrangement of this small book were clearly influenced by Beliaevman’s "The Physics." How can we make science popularization more engaging? I envisioned deliberately seeking novelty,, and the extraordinary, as well as correcting misleading misconceptions, presenting knowledge from unexpected angles, and so on. Fresh news and new knowledge are of interest to young readers. Deliberately seeking novelty should include discovering materials from recent news reports and scientists’ new discoveries. For example, the chapter "How Do Snakes Grow Legs?" in this small book starts with a report from abroad about two surveyors in northeastern Khorasan Province, Iran, who discovered a strange snake with two legs. It then explains that the so-called four-legged snake is actually not a snake but a lizard. Existing snakes do not grow legs. However, the earliest snakes did have legs, but they gradually and disappeared in the course of evolution. A large python, which can grow up to six or seven meters long, is relatively primitive and low in evolutionary terms. It still retains a pair of rod-like hind limb remnants on either side of its anus, which are the remnants of snake legs. Based on this, the author speculates that the strange snake found in Iran with legs is a case of atavism in animalology. Another example is "Why Can Owls Fly Silently," which is based on a new discovery by foreign scientists. Professor Rile of the University of Southampton in the UK, through observation and research, found that the silent flight capability of owls is related to their unique wing structure. Over long-term evolution, owls have developed a wing feather structure different from other birds. Most birds have relatively smooth wing edges, similar to airplane wings, while the edges and trailing edges of owl wings are serrated. This shape significantly reduces the noise generated by air flowing over the wings during flight. Professor Rile, using computer simulations and analysis, discovered that the owl’s wing structure may play a decisive role in reducing noise caused by air turbulence. The content of deliberately seeking novelty also includes chapters such as "Why Can the Crested Peacock Descend Vertically at High Speed During Flight," "Why Are All the Anglerfish Caught Female?" and "How Do Sea Shrimp Trigger Mines?"