Re: Mosquito or no-see-em?

["Gary McCallister" <mccallis@xxxx>]

Don't misunderstand, I really appreciate your interst in my project. And the 
refinements are very thought provoking. Maybe this projects will never be 
over. :-) The "itch" to probe and refine is strong when "injected" with a 
little mosquito behavior.

>>> ben.yates@xxxx 09/10/01 10:38AM >>>
--- In MWcybercourse@xxxx, "Gary McCallister" <mccallis@xxxx> wrote:
> This is interesting and obviously captures a better movement=20
and helps eliminate the bug of slipping through the barrier. As a=20
poor biologist, however, I am a little concerned that some of the=20
refinements are not exactly mosquito like. I am well aware that most=20
of the people on the list are more interested in the computers=20
behavior, but I feel I must speak on behalf of the organism.=20=20
> For example, there is some evidence that mosquitoes DO move=20
very randomly, at least until they are quite close to a host.=20=20
Secondly, as we add refinements that make the program run better, I=20
wonder if we are exceeding the decision making capacity of the=20
organism. These are animals of very little brain (probably even less=20
than Pooh Bear). Third, there are a number of varibales that we are=20
not considering, like multiple sources, alternative energy sources,=20
or weather conditions. Lasty, when confronted with a barrier such as=20
window screen, mosquitoes DO occassionally find a way through. (It=20
is almost like magic).
>=20

I agree, let's keep them stupid... :) I would think, then, that=20
instead of 70% moving towards, 30% random, we should start with 70=20
random, and decrease this randomness as distance decreases (as the=20
mosquito "detects" the target).=20
I'm not sure that I can or will add the "extras", but I do admit that=20
sometimes the mosquito DOES find a way through my screen as well.=20
Consider that my "screen" is rectangle. If the mosquito moves FORWARD=20
through a CORNER (thereby passing through and landing on the adjacent=20
side), it HAS passed through the screen.
There is also the possibility of adding a small chance (say 10%) that=20
a mosquito CAN pass through the middle (it found a hole, for example).
It would be interesting to extend this project to include multiple=20
targets, and introduce "repellant" on some targets, if we know what=20
the repellant does. But we'd really need to increase the mosquitoes=20
as well. Then add birds. (My wife had a suggestion about West Nile=20
virus, but I didn't bite).
Anyway, thank you for an interesting project. I don't plan to "take=20
over" your project, but it has been fun to experiment with. I do=20
admit I was more interested if it was capable of being programmed on=20
a dialect as old as TI Logo II (1981)... it required a different=20
approach, I am sure.

Ben



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