|
April 12, 2006
Can You Hear Me?
The concave-eared torrent frog (above) lives beside water that splashes over rocks on a mountainside in China. It's the first amphibian shown to use ultrasonic calls. See "Ultrasonic Frogs Raise the Pitch."
It's hard to talk to a friend in a noisy crowd or when very loud music is playing. Imagine what it's like for the torrent frog pictured above, which lives near rapids. Normal croaking just isn't enough.
The torrent frog has a way around this problem. It makes sounds that are very highly pitched, like those of a bat. Human ears can't detect the sounds, but the frog's ears can. These sounds can be heard over the water's roar.
Science fiction writers love to explore the idea of how we might one day communicate with a nonhuman intelligence—with aliens. But what if these aliens, like the torrent frog, speak in sounds we can't hear? What could we do?
Challenge: Can You Hear Me Now?
Imagine that Earth has been visited by a spaceship from another planet. So far, all communications have been done using computers. This has been a good beginning and has established everyone's peaceful intentions.
Now the aliens are eager to meet humans face to face—to talk. You're a member of a group arranging this first meeting. You've planned carefully, and everything looks perfect. But when the aliens step onto the stage and open their mouths, no sound comes out. When the human delegates say something, the aliens look confused. This isn't going well.
What should you do? What could you do? (Hint: Think about all the ways that we communicate. Use your imagination!)
If you wish, send your answers to us at scifizone@snkids.com (or fill in the form below). If we use your idea, you may be eligible to win a prize! Please include your first name, age, city or town, and state. If you are under 13 years old, get your parent's permission to write to us.
This week's recommended scifi books
Art gallery
Talk Back:
Do you have any comments about this challenge? Send them
to us using the form below.
|
SNK RSS Feed 
