时间:2018-12-27 作者:英语课 分类:英语时差8,16


英语课

Don: Hey Yaël, what do locusts 2, neurons, robots and the movie Star Wars have in common? Yaël: You got me, Don. D: The answer is: Doctor Claire Rind, a [dict]biologist[/dict] and robotics expert at the University of Newcastle, England. Dr. Rind wanted to design a collision-avoidance system for cars. So she decided 3 to investigate the collision-avoidance system of locusts. Y: Why locusts? D: Locusts have fairly simple eyes and brains but still manage to fly in [dict]dense[/dict] swarms 4 of many millions without bumping into each other. She hoped that by understanding how locusts managed this feat 5, she could design a robotic system based on their neural 6 [dict]machinery[/dict]. Now here is where it gets a little wacky--she made locusts watch Star Wars while monitoring the reactions of their visual systems. Dr. Rind discovered that locusts have special neurons that respond specifically to looming 7 objects--or objects moving straight toward the locust 1, like on-screen spaceships. These movement-detector neurons [dict]distinguish[/dict] between approaching and receding 8 objects by the way the edges of the object's image seem to grow or [dict]shrink[/dict] in their field of vision. Y: Neat! D: Then Rind and her [dict]colleague[/dict]s translated the locust's [dict]neural [/dict]processing to a small robot with cameras for eyes and had it [dict]zoom [/dict]through an obstacle course. The robot was able to avoid collisions 91% of the time! Now a team of neurobiologists, engineers, and designers is working on an automatic collision avoidance system for cars. The so-called "Locust Project" uses the knowledge gained from Star Wars-watching locusts. One day your car may be able to avoid collisions with the speed and accuracy of flying locusts! Y: Now that's science in action!



1 locust
n.蝗虫;洋槐,刺槐
  • A locust is a kind of destructive insect.蝗虫是一种害虫。
  • This illustration shows a vertical section through the locust.本图所示为蝗虫的纵剖面。
2 locusts
n.蝗虫( locust的名词复数 );贪吃的人;破坏者;槐树
  • a swarm of locusts 一大群蝗虫
  • In no time the locusts came down and started eating everything. 很快蝗虫就飞落下来开始吃东西,什么都吃。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 decided
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
4 swarms
蜂群,一大群( swarm的名词复数 )
  • They came to town in swarms. 他们蜂拥来到城里。
  • On June the first there were swarms of children playing in the park. 6月1日那一天,这个公园里有一群群的孩子玩耍。
5 feat
n.功绩;武艺,技艺;adj.灵巧的,漂亮的,合适的
  • Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
  • He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。
6 neural
adj.神经的,神经系统的
  • The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
  • The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。
7 looming
n.上现蜃景(光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼)v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近
  • The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看,在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
8 receding
v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题
  • Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远,他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句
  • Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句
学英语单词
'Ashqūt
anaesthetists
Anti-Saloon League
Anzin
apogeotropism
Aristolochia mollissima
avc amplifier
be buffeted
becnel
beinga
beuer
billing category
BOC
Brooks Air Force Base
ca-rets
Calobata
carbon-flavonoides
centred-fan field
Chikusa
cholangioscopies
condenser magnification
conformal carriage
cuzo
dehydrocostuslactone
diagonal covariance matrix
displacement efficiency
effective video
energy conversion device
extension card
finger-wheel rake
fontes
fossae intermesocolica transversa
Fulēnsa
genus daucuss
get into the wrong hands
great snipes
Hammerschlag's method
har-band
high aluminous
high speed metal oxide semiconductor
high-energy physicss
high-stop filter
hurdy-gurdy
husker-shredder
I cell
inerting blanketing system
IRS abatement
Kyusakamoto
Lachesis flavovilidis
lateral atlantoaxial joint
laurustinus
lazy boy
loading sequence
loan loss provision
lufuradom
Lukachek
manifold classification
mesothorium i
metal-chelated
metal-coated yarn
Mondayish
munequitos
mycotic arthropathy
N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase
nonmember country
omental torsion
oxyurichthys amabalis
paper-and-cotton insulated cable
parthenays
pegmatitic stage
perfect-stranger
pre-diastolic
pseudocarburizing
pyroantimonite
range booster
reactivation of partition
reducing material
resection of urethral diaphragm
rust proofing
shawinigan
shut one's light s
sonde-type
space filling puzzle
spring-disc
subdivisionate
suyu
taraxin
three-axis attitude stabilization
thromboendophlebectomy
tryall
under-sawyer
unwindings
vampiress
veriloquently
Verkhoramen'ye
Villiers, George
waste collector system
water colunm pressure
wind sucking
York Downs
your secret's safe with me