bats

[EternalOptimist]

and thats another thing

what have bats got to do with october 31st ?


bah, humbug

 

[RichardCranium]

And spiders.

And pumpkins.

 

[MrMark]

I always wondered why the old saying "blind as a bat" started. Surely people would have thought bats had excellent vision by their ability to fly around caves, trees, attics etc at night? It's only relatively recently we found out about their radar (or is it sonar).

 

[Zippy]

I always wondered why the old saying "blind as a bat" started. Surely people would have thought bats had excellent vision by their ability to fly around caves, trees, attics etc at night? It's only relatively recently we found out about their radar (or is it sonar).

It's sonar. I love bats and we used to have them in our house.

Not sure whythey are associated with 31-Oct - it may be as simple as them being flying mice.

 

[MarillionFan]

and thats another thing

what have bats got to do with october 31st ?

bah, humbug

And spiders.

And pumpkins.

Bats are associated with witches, they can turn themselves into bats, bats are familiars.

Spiders are associated with witches, spiders are familiars.

A jack-o'-lantern (formerly also known as a Scary Pumpkin) is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday of todayHalloween, and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern. In a jack-o'-lantern, typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved onto the outside surface, and the lid replaced. At night, a light is placed inside to illuminate the effect

Throughout Ireland and Britain, there is a long tradition of carving lanterns from vegetables, particularly the turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede.[2] But not until 1837 does jack-o'-lantern appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern,[3] and the carved lantern does not become associated specifically with Halloween until 1866.[4] Significantly, both occurred not in Ireland or Britain, but in North America. Historian David J. Skal writes,

 

[TykeMerc]

Sonar, but I believe in tests they've found bat eyesight isn't bad in many species and quite good in some.

 

[TimberWolf]

I always wondered why the old saying "blind as a bat" started. Surely people would have thought bats had excellent vision by their ability to fly around caves, trees, attics etc at night? It's only relatively recently we found out about their radar (or is it sonar).

I think they do have a tendency to fly into things. Or swerve at the last second anyway.

 

[TimberWolf]

Dolphins also use sonar, but you already know that. They can read the signals that bounce back to form the equivalent of an image. But you already know that. They can repeat back that signal. Did you know that? There is some speculation that they can transmit pictures (repeat the echo that is then heard by another dolphin). Not a lot of people know that. I wonder if they can see the echo produced by other dolphins and see what they are seeing? Wrong thread.

 

[MarillionFan]

Dolphins also use sonar, but you already know that. They can read the signals that bounce back to form the equivalent of an image. But you already know that. They can repeat back that signal. Did you know that? There is some speculation that they can transmit pictures (repeat the echo that is then heard by another dolphin). Not a lot of people know that. I wonder if they can see the echo produced by other dolphins and see what they are seeing? Wrong thread.

Dolphins are also associated with Halloween. Witches were accused of turning people into Dolphins (Merman). We had a 6 foot inflatable dolphin on the side of the house, next to a giant blowup mushroom(which is the food of the devil)

 

[TimberWolf]

Bats are associated with witches, they can turn themselves into bats, bats are familiars.

Spiders are associated with witches, spiders are familiars.

A jack-o'-lantern (formerly also known as a Scary Pumpkin) is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday of todayHalloween, and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern. In a jack-o'-lantern, typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved onto the outside surface, and the lid replaced. At night, a light is placed inside to illuminate the effect

Throughout Ireland and Britain, there is a long tradition of carving lanterns from vegetables, particularly the turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede.[2] But not until 1837 does jack-o'-lantern appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern,[3] and the carved lantern does not become associated specifically with Halloween until 1866.[4] Significantly, both occurred not in Ireland or Britain, but in North America. Historian David J. Skal writes,

Now that would be scary; a turnip face.