Page 82 - Engineering in Nature
P. 82
Engineering in Nature
In war, of course, it's very important for one country to get hold of
its enemy's battle plan. Knowing the weapons and tactics the enemy
will employ will make victory—or at least, survival—much easier.
The advantage that a moth attains over bats is due to its being aware
of the main tactic they use to attack. This of course, is a result of the
moths' flawlessly designed creation. If the moth could not hear
sounds as far away as the bats could, then the moth's ears couldn't
protect it. By the time the moth detected the bat and sought to evade
it, the bat would have homed in on it and caught it, due to its faster
flight speed. Or the moth might perceive an approaching bat as actu-
ally farther away, or misinterpret the bat's location.
Yet from among all these alternatives, moths select the right course
of action to avoid falling prey.
In one verse God reveals, "God is watchful over all things." (Surat
al-Ahzab: 52) The moth's hearing is one of the countless proofs of this.
Like all other living things, moths survive thanks to the perfect
systems He has created in their bodies and inspired them to employ.
With the inspiration of God, they engage in rational behavior and
make the right choices.
• More About Moths' Perfect Hearing System
The book “Animal Engineering”, based on articles published in
Scientific American magazine, reveals the flawless complexity of the
system in moths' bodies:
Moths' ears are located to the side of the lower part of their thorax,
in a small passage that separates the insect's chest and stomach. Seen
from outside, the ears resemble two small cavities, each containing a
transparent membrane.
Immediately behind the membrane, in that part of the passage
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