And on a lighter note.

[PDQ Mobile]

From The Papers on the BBC.

"Finally, the Times is one of several papers to report on new research which sheds light on why barn owls are white. Swiss scientists attached stuffed owls of varying colours to a zipwire, then propelled them through the air above tanks full of voles.
In moonlit conditions, the voles froze with fear for up to five seconds longer, when confronted by the white owls. The researchers concluded this would give the birds a better chance of catching their prey."

I'm in the wrong job!

[Tangled Metal]

Or the voles instinctively recognised their main predator and did what they always do in fear? Just an idea. Does anyone really think this a level quality experiment worth much?

[mattheus]

Does anyone really think this a level quality experiment worth much?

Yes. Actual scientists.

That's why they're in charge of such things. Unlike opinionated bystanders with no track record.

You'd have probably laughed at newton and his apple.

[pwa]

Or the voles instinctively recognised their main predator and did what they always do in fear? Just an idea. Does anyone really think this a level quality experiment worth much?

But given that creatures evolve in response to their environmental conditions, why have voles not evolved to respond quicker to the sight of a barn owl? You'd have thought that they would have got pretty good at that by now.

[LollyKat]

If you want to remain unnoticed surely it's better to stay motionless - movement attracts the eye.

The researchers could test this by launching real owls over stuffed voles, some of them stationary, and some clockwork and moving, to see how many of each kind the owls attacked.

[kwackers]

If you want to remain unnoticed surely it's better to stay motionless - movement attracts the eye.

The researchers could test this by launching real owls over stuffed voles, some of them stationary, and some clockwork and moving, to see how many of each kind the owls attacked.

My cat is rubbish at spotting anything that isn't moving.
I've seen it staring at a pond full of frogs and being unable to see a single one until one of them makes a run for it...

But yeah, freezing is a good thing unless you've already been spotted in which case it's a bad thing.
To freeze or not to freeze? That's the question.

Thinking about it I suspect freezing is a good thing if you are one of a number of voles. If you haven't been spotted freezing works in your favour, for the vole that was spotted it's the worst thing they can do.
Overall though given the numbers freezing would work in your favour.

[roubaixtuesday]

A summary of the research, which investigates evolutionary drivers for the different (red or white) variants in colouration of barn owls.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/barn- ... ling-prey/

And the actual paper, worth reading before offering criticism.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-019-0967-2

[Vorpal]

Or the voles instinctively recognised their main predator and did what they always do in fear? Just an idea. Does anyone really think this a level quality experiment worth much?

I think it sounds like fun, and maybe I should have studied biology or animal behaviour science.

My cat is rubbish at spotting anything that isn't moving.
I've seen it staring at a pond full of frogs and being unable to see a single one until one of them makes a run for it...

Cats generally identify prey by sound or movement.

On a related note... I never knew that frogs screamed until I had both cats and a pond. I think it's something that I would have preferred to avoid knowing.