Read a novel today by Chris Bachelder entitled 'Bear V Shark'. It's set in America, where TV is about to answer, in a scientific experiment the great question:

"Given a relatively level playing field - ie water deep enough so that a shark could maneuver proficiently, but shallow enough so that a bear could stand and operate with its characteristic dexterity - who would win in a fight between a bear and a shark?"

What do you all reckon?



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

a bear, definitely a bear....have you ever seen one of those grizzlies snag a salmon out of the river? A shark relies on the element of surprise and you don't go sneaking up on a hungry bear!

Personally I was betting on the shark - they have skin that'd be very tough for a bear to grab hold of, let alone pierce, whereas the bear has limbs that are 9ideal for a shark to grab hold of and rip off. Also the shark can move faster than a bear could - the shark's designed for swimming, whereas a bear is only fast on dry land - the water resistance will slow it down too much.



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Don't know that shark skin is THAT much tougher, but also, sharks need plenty of room to thrash so they can tear the flesh of their prey. And if the water was deep enough for a shark but shallow enough for a bear, the shark would be somewhat limited in its movement and it would be approximate to the hinderance of the bear.

fairly level pegging as it were....

Well it depends on the bear and the shark, doesn't it? If it was a grizzly and a dogfish. the result might be a bit different than a mako and a spectacled bear (which come to think of it would have to have fallen out of a tree anyway).

But seriously (!?) if the bear in question was a Polar bear, I can't think of anything on heaven or earth that could really take it on (have you ever seen one in the flesh -- I have only in a zoo, but the size of those things!! And they move pretty fast too)



Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.

A grizzly can hit a top speed of 30mph on dry land, a mako shark has been estimated at up to 50, but a better estimate is probably 25mph. However this is through water - and I seriously doubt that a bear could hit that kind of speed even in knee deep water. The Reynolds number (a measure of the amount of drag on a body) is approxiamtely 15 times higher in water than in air for the same speed - so the shark is capable of moving far faster throug water than the bear - especially as the bear must bring its legs through the water faster than it's body is moving. I reckon this gives the shark the advantage in terms of speed.

The manouverability is also fairly important for the fight, and again I reckon the shark has the advantage here, as fins can't slip on the floor, unlike a bear, and I'm fairly sure that a shark could turn much quicker than a bear at a given speed in water. Having said that, the shark can't swim backwards or sideways directly, so that'd help the bear.

Eyesight may also tell - the shark is adapted for seeing underwater, and parts of the bear will always be under water. The bear's eyes are likely to be above water, and must allow for refraction. They're not actually that good at catching salmon in rivers, they have to rely on luck more than skill. The fin might help the bear track a shark if it's above water, but maybe not...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

I'd have thought the bear would have the advantage - sharks' mouths being on the underside of the head has got to give it a disadvantage, surely?

Why would the bear have to run? Wait for the shark to come to him, and then biff him on the nose, which, I seem to recall, is a sensitive spot for sharks. Game over.

My money's on a complete non-event. The shark just swims about and the bear has more brain than to go looking for trouble.



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

PSD: Out of interest, does the book go into the detail of the Reynolds number of the flow ? That's taking me back.

My money's on the bear. The only chance the shark would have would be if the water was deep. Even then, a polar bear can swim pretty well and would do OK.

I was getting my figures from a variety of websites and from 'Diatoms to Dinosaurs' by Christopher McGowan, which is an interesting read...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Given the conditions outlined, I'd bet on the bear too. sharks need to keep moving in order to breathe, I think. If the bear managed to pin the shark down, using its weight, it could savage the shark.
The shark has only its mouth as a weapon, and must turn upsidedown in order to strike. The bear can attack by biting, and using both front legs.

Granted, but the bear's teeth aren't designed to hold prey - they're omnivores. The claws are similarly multi-purpose, and can't hold powerful prey down. I'm still betting shark...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

How do you PSD just know so many things, fact and statistics? Do you just write/type seamlessly things like 'bears can run at 25kmh" (or whatever) and so on (oft quoted stats and facts in your posts) OR do you search it all up and just make it appear that these things roll of your tongue/keyboard with instant recall from your brain. I am not being sarcastic I just wonder sometimes whether you just have a lot of facts instantly accessible?

Personally I'd bet on the Tuna. All that brine makes them damn fast.



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There's a hole in my creativity bucket and it's all leaked out.

PSD is the consummate Googler...

he probably has shares on the company!

has anyone noticed, if you go to google, click on 'preferences', then choose from the drop down list 'interface language', there are options such as pig latin, elmer fudd (search gwoups, or the diwectowy), or bork bork bork (swedish chef from the muppets)

splendid. bork bork.

What a fantastic discovewy.

Can't decide if I prefer Bork Bork Bork or Elmer Fudd.

Hehe.



Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.

Yup, most facts and figures come from Google (I normally check a few websites to make sure they agree), although I have a fair selection of stuff within one arm's length of the keyboard - three dictionaries, a thesaurus, several textbooks, books of quotations etc etc...

If all that fails then yes, I make it up...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Ooh, Google... what would I do without it?

A certain friend of mine needed a pseudonym by which I could refer to him in a Yahoo group (those who are reading my blog will have the details). I asked him if he had any suggestions, and he said, yes, Frank Booth.

Good name, I replied. Sounds nice and solid, makes it sound as though you're old enough to be my father. Right ho, Frank Booth it shall be.

Then I got suspicious, because I've known this chap for a long time and he's got a very surreal sense of humour. Anything he suggested that sounded as boring and innocent as that had to have more to it. Oh, yes, and the other piece of information you need to know about my friend is that he's a serious film buff.

I Googled the name. All I'm saying is... Blue Velvet.

Honestly!



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That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah