SSS 2010-10-13
时间：2019-01-08 作者：英语课 分类：Scientific American(十)月
This is Scientific American’s 60-Second Science, I’m Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute.
Blackjack, slot machines, good ol’ Texas hold’em. People love to gamble. And we’re not the only ones. A new study shows that pigeons will also pass up a sure thing in the hopes of a big payoff. The work appears in the Proceedings 1 of the Royal Society.
Theories about foraging 2 say that animals should stick with the proverbial bird in the hand, especially when it comes to food. Eating is key to survival, so clever critters shouldn’t take unnecessary chances. But these new findings suggest that pigeons don’t always play it safe.
Scientists set up an avian casino in which pigeons could place their bets on one of two symbols. Peck at symbol 1 and you get three food pellets. Never more, never less. Symbol 2 was the wildcard. Choose that one and 20 percent of the time, you’ll hit the jackpot: 10 food pellets. The rest of the time you’ll get nothing. But the lure 3 of the big win was too hard to resist: pigeons chose to gamble more than 80 percent of the time, even though, on average, that path paid out fewer pellets.
Perhaps it’s the joy of a pleasant surprise. Because even for a literal bird brain, hitting the lottery 4 is a hoot 5.
Thanks for the minute, for Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I’m Karen Hopkin.
- He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
- to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
- They eke out a precarious existence foraging in rubbish dumps. 他们靠在垃圾场捡垃圾维持着朝不保夕的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The campers went foraging for wood to make a fire. 露营者去搜寻柴木点火。 来自辞典例句
- Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
- He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。
- He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
- They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。