of beavers and woodpeckers
Today we asked the big questions, the ones that really get people thinking...
Our big question was inspired by a tree growing in front of Blue Coat school, that turns a potentially very picturesque view into one that frankly isn't. I postulated that perhaps we could hire a dozen beavers to come and take it down. Then came THE question:
Would 12 beavers knock down a tree faster than 100 woodpeckers could?
This question has been taxing such eminent minds as Richard Williams, Thomas Magnum, Stephanie Gillette and KC Clark. So far... we don't know. My money is on the beavers, with their razor sharp teeth and good team working ethic.
What do you think?
posted by Andy @ 11:05 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
oh, most DEF the beavers.
come on. have you seen THEM build dams? they've gotta do a lot of knocking down to build back up...i bet they're old pros.
The beavers definately. As we said before the beavers would focus their attention on the trunk of the tree and get down to business. In no time at all you would be hearing the mighty word... 'TIMBER!'
The woodpeckers on the other hand would do a lot of damage to the tree but not necessarily felling the tree.
So yeah..
I've gotta go with the beavers. They're design specifically to fell trees while the woodpeckers are designed to forage around in the tree so they would take forever to cut it down.
uhm, i believe i answered also. leaving me out. psh.
and the answer is woodpeckers. undoubtedly. :)
beavers hands down. although maybe woodpeckers for amusement sake?
i'm doing well. haven't been working too hard on support. sigh. but i did get to go to fall retreat this past weekend, which was great. :) how the heck are YOU? what are you up to these days other than speculating about trees in front of the blue coat school?
I agree with Rich. The concentrated efforts of beavers at the base of the tree would be far more efficient than the feeble efforts of the woodpeckers. Beavers could also be conveniently penned-in at the bottom of the tree to encourage productivity!
P.S. Hammering a copper nail into the tree also has the desired felling effect, although a bit slower.
Part of me wants to pull a "Monty Python" and say: North American Beavers or European Beavers? ha.
Because everything Wikipedia says must be true:
"Beavers have been known to build very large dams, the largest known was discovered near Three Forks, Montana and was 2,140 feet long, 14 feet high, and 23 feet thick at the base."
I cheer for the beaver.
But first we must see Beavers reintroduced to Britain. :)
"The beaver became extinct in Britain in the sixteenth century, but there is now a project which is reintroducing the species to the country. Six European Beavers will be released into a lakeside area in Gloucestershire and allowed to roam wild. There are also plans to bring the beaver to Scotland."
Well, it seems that the beavers are convincing the majority. Now all I need to do is somehow get hold of 12 beavers and 100 woodpeckers and carry out a properly documented experiment.
Thank you all for your thoughts. Sorry Mel, I would have included you in the list of great thinkers but I don't know your surname.
Thanks Nghia for your environmental concerns, but I think that the sacrifice of a couple of trees is worth the furthering of scientific knowledge.
And Christy, big credit for the dedication to the advancement of knowledge demonstrated by the use of random statistics.
Tune in next time for: Which is the most obscure phrase in my MP4 player's instruction manual?
(it's better than it sounds)
dangit! I am too late on the voting! But oh well, my preference has been chosen...
of course the beavers, cuz they would have a reason to go after the tree, for the benefit of their beaver dam....the woodpeckers on the other hand.....what IS their purpose? No clue....
I would have to say that it would have to go to the beavers. Even if the woodpeckers can physically cut through faster they wont bring down the tree as they work at the top-ish part of the tree whereas on the other hand beavers almost always chew at the bottom of the tree.......
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