Slashdot Mirror
Australia Working On High-Tech Shark-Detection Systems (itworld.com)
jfruh writes: Even if you're a frequent ocean swimmer, you're much more likely to die in a car accident than from a shark attack — and yet sharks strike fear into people's hearts in ways that directly affect the economies of surf paradises like Australia. That's why the Australian government is working on a host of techologies to detect shark incursions on popular beaches, including drones and smart buoys (PDF) that can identify potential predators (PDF).
You don't need a system to detect "High-Tech Sharks"...
Lasers don't kill people, sharks kill people.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
What they really need is a box jellyfish detection system.
The reason that shark attacks are rare isn't that sharks are rare, it's that they rarely attack people. So any properly-functioning shark detector is going to be sounding the alarm multiple times per day, at least. That's not going to make people feel safer about getting into the water.
In an ideal world the solution would be education. If people understand statistics they'll realize that they should be far more afraid of the drive to the beach or of drowning while swimming or surfing than of being attacked by a shark. The risks are orders of magnitude higher... and it's not like many far more common forms of death aren't equally gruesome and painful. They just aren't as newsworthy and our cavemen brains are wired to judge probability by the frequency with which we hear a story, and how spectacular it is.
Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
No, really, hear me out ... about a kilometer or so off shore, continuously chum the water with lawyers.
This way the sharks are always well fed, and won't come in-shore.
Of course, the animal rights groups might object that feeding the lawyers to the sharks might harm the sharks, but they'll come around.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
You forget the old joke:
Q: Why don't sharks bite lawyers?
A: Professional courtesy.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
Sharks aren't what they should be worried about. You have to go in the water to get eaten by sharks. But death adders... no, those assholes will slither up your leg while you're waiting in line at the Hungry Jack's. And then, when you run screaming into the water to get away from the death adders, BAM! the sharks got you.
Fuck Australia. It's a shame, too, because the last time I was there I had a really good time. But the only reason I'm still alive is because having a blood alcohol level of over .25 acts as a death adder repellent. At least that's what the Qantas stewardess told me as we were landing. Thank god the airport bar was open.
And let me tell you, it's not easy maintaining a blood alcohol level of over .25 for six weeks while you're a visiting professor on a university fellowship. Fortunately, the rest of the faculty seemed to be on the same anti-death adder regimen.
You are welcome on my lawn.
But you have to stay indoors if you are taking the alcohol repellent approach. For some reason that haze of alcohol you have sweated out makes drop bears go fucking crazy. Personally I would prefer death by red belly then drop bear.
Don't forget the red-backs in the toilets. And the huntsmen that roam the bedrooms carrying necrotizing fasciitis.
http://www.greenlivingtips.com...