Editing 2770: Tapetum Lucidum
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{{w|Bill Nye}}, perhaps best known for his children's educational series ''{{w|Bill Nye the Science Guy}}'', wearing the same lab coat as in [[200: Bill Nye]], beats an unseen player (presumably [[Randall]]) in an online multiplayer game resembling {{w|XPilot}}, in which players pilot spaceships using simulated rocket physics and attempt to shoot and kill each other. During a laser battle, Bill Nye provides a scientific explanation for the {{w|tapetum lucidum}}, the layer behind the {{w|retina}} of a cat's eye. He explains that the layer reflects back some of the light that passes through the retina, giving it a second chance to hit the retina again. This allows a cat's eye to capture more light than it otherwise would, and thus improves their night vision. It's also why [https://carnegiemnh.org/meowfest-why-do-cat-eyes-glow-in-the-dark/ cat's eyes appear to glow in the dark]. | {{w|Bill Nye}}, perhaps best known for his children's educational series ''{{w|Bill Nye the Science Guy}}'', wearing the same lab coat as in [[200: Bill Nye]], beats an unseen player (presumably [[Randall]]) in an online multiplayer game resembling {{w|XPilot}}, in which players pilot spaceships using simulated rocket physics and attempt to shoot and kill each other. During a laser battle, Bill Nye provides a scientific explanation for the {{w|tapetum lucidum}}, the layer behind the {{w|retina}} of a cat's eye. He explains that the layer reflects back some of the light that passes through the retina, giving it a second chance to hit the retina again. This allows a cat's eye to capture more light than it otherwise would, and thus improves their night vision. It's also why [https://carnegiemnh.org/meowfest-why-do-cat-eyes-glow-in-the-dark/ cat's eyes appear to glow in the dark]. | ||
| β | At the same time, Bill Nye's battle tactic in the online game perfectly analogizes the point he is making. His spaceship is firing energy pulses into the path of an approaching ship in an attempt to destroy it. Due to the difficulty of hitting a small, fast-moving target, it's likely that most or all of these shots will miss. However, because Bill Nye is firing at a reflective wall, each shot that misses bounces back into the path of the opponent's ship, giving it a second chance to hit the target and effectively doubling the density of the firepower. With double the number of shots to avoid, the opponent's ship is hit and explodes | + | At the same time, Bill Nye's battle tactic in the online game perfectly analogizes the point he is making. His spaceship is firing energy pulses into the path of an approaching ship in an attempt to destroy it. Due to the difficulty of hitting a small, fast-moving target, it's likely that most or all of these shots will miss. However, because Bill Nye is firing at a reflective wall, each shot that misses bounces back into the path of the opponent's ship, giving it a second chance to hit the target and effectively doubling the density of the firepower. With double the number of shots to avoid, the opponent's ship is hit and explodes. |
In the analogy, the weapon shots fired by Bill Nye's ship are the light photons entering the cat's eye, the reflective wall is the tapetum lucidum, and the opponent's ship is a retinal cell. Destroying the opponent's ship with a shot is analogous to a light photon being absorbed by the cat's retina (and therefore seen). If the reflective wall hadn't been there, the ship might have survived, which means the retina would never have seen that photon. | In the analogy, the weapon shots fired by Bill Nye's ship are the light photons entering the cat's eye, the reflective wall is the tapetum lucidum, and the opponent's ship is a retinal cell. Destroying the opponent's ship with a shot is analogous to a light photon being absorbed by the cat's retina (and therefore seen). If the reflective wall hadn't been there, the ship might have survived, which means the retina would never have seen that photon. | ||
