Why do honeybees love hexagons? - Zack Patterson and Andy Peterson

為什麼蜜蜂喜歡六角形？扎克派特森 (Zack Patterson) 與安迪彼得森 (Andy Peterson)

譯者: Wei-Jung Liu 審譯者: Regina Chu

Honeybees are fascinating creatures for a number of reasons:

蜜蜂是非常吸引人的生物， 有幾個原因：

their incredible work ethic,

他們有令人難以置信的工作倫理，

the sugary sweet syrup they produce

能製造甜甜的糖漿

and their intricate social structure.

並且他們還有非常 錯綜複雜的社會結構。

But another reason is that honeybees are, in fact,

然而，事實上，還有另一個原因則是

excellent mathematicians.

蜜蜂是傑出的數學家。

Scientists claim the tiny insects can calculate angles,

科學家們聲稱這種小昆蟲 有能力可以計算角度，

and can even comprehend the roundness of the Earth.

並且甚至理解地球是圓弧形的。

But there's particular mathematical bee genius

但是有個最具有數學邏輯的設計

behind the most important aspect of honeybee life: the hive.

也就是對蜜蜂生活 最重要的一環：蜂窩。

Just like humans, bees need food and shelter to stay alive.

就像人類一樣， 蜜蜂需要食物及家以維持生命。

The hive is not only the bees' home,

蜂窩不僅僅只是蜜蜂的家，

but doubles as a place to store their honey.

更兼具為一個儲存蜂蜜的地方。

Since it's so central to survival,

由於是生存的中心，

honeybees have to perfect the hive's architectural design.

蜜蜂必須將蜂窩建築 設計得完美無瑕。

If you examine any piece of honeycomb,

如果仔細觀察每一小塊蜂巢，

you'll see that it's constructed from

將會看到它的建造

tightly packed hexagonal, or six-sided, cells.

是由六角或是六邊形的 巢室緊密連成的。

Of all the possible designs,

但有這麼多可以選擇的設計，

why do honeybees choose this one?

為什麼蜜蜂唯獨選擇這個呢?

To understand, you need to think like a bee.

如果你想瞭解的話， 就必須像蜜蜂一樣來思考。

Bees need a secure place for their entire colony to live.

蜜蜂需要一個安全的地方 讓他們整個族群能夠生活。

Similarly, there needs to be a place

相同的，必須要有一個適合的地方

where their nectar can be stored and ripened suitably

來儲存他們的花蜜直到成熟

until it turns into honey.

而轉變成蜂蜜。

That means there's a need for some serious space efficiency.

意思是必須要有高度空間利用效率。

A good solution is to build little storage units, or cells,

好的解決方式是建造一個 小儲存單位或巢室，

just big enough for a bee to fit into,

其大小只夠容納一只蜜蜂進出，

which can also double as the containers in which nectar is stored:

同時也兼具儲存花蜜的功能：

The bees' very own honey jars.

這是蜜蜂的蜂蜜罐。

The next thing, is to decide what the little cells should be made out of.

另一件事則是決定每個 小巢室的材料是甚麼。

Bees don't have beaks or arms to pick up things,

蜜蜂沒有喙或是手臂來抬任何東西，

but they are capable of producing wax.

但他們可以製造蜂蠟。

The thing is, producing it is a lot of hard work.

重點是，製造很費力。

Bees have to consume 8 ounces of honey

蜜蜂必須消耗掉 8 盎司的蜂蜜

to produce just 1 ounce of wax.

才能製造出僅僅 1 盎司的蜂蠟。

So they don't want to waste it.

因此他們不想要浪費任何蜂蜜。

So, they need a design that allows them to store

所以，他們需要一個可以 最大量儲存蜂蜜的設計

the largest possible amount of honey

讓他們來儲存蜂蜜，

using the least amount of wax.

並且使用最小的空間來儲存蜂蠟。

What shape does that?

那應該是什麼形狀呢？

Imagining for a minute that all bees had to

想像一下所有的蜜蜂

attend architecture academy and go to math class.

都必須去建築學院及上數學課。

Let's say they asked their geometry teacher,

我們舉個例子， 他們可能會問幾何學老師：

"What shape would give us the most space to store our honey,

「什麼形狀可以給我們 最大的空間來儲存蜂蜜，

but require the least amount of wax?"

卻只需要最少空間來儲存蜂蠟呢？」

And then geometry teacher replied,

然後幾何學老師回答說：

"The shape that you're seeking is the circle."

「你們要找尋的那個形狀是圓形。」

Leaving the bees to return to their trial construction site

接著讓蜜蜂們回到建築試驗基地

and begin building their honeycomb using circular cells.

並以圓形巢室開始建造他們的蜂巢。

After a while, some of them might have noticed

過了一陣子後，有些蜜蜂可能注意到了

a problem with their design:

他們的設計有問題：

small gaps between the cells.

每個巢室之間有個小間隙。

"We can't even fit in there! That's wasted space!"

「我們甚至不能進去裡面， 這樣太浪費空間了！」

they might have thought.

他們可能會這樣想。

So, ignoring the geometry lesson,

所以，先不管幾何課了，

and taking matters into their own hands,

來看看現在正遇到的問題，

the bees went back to the drawing board

蜜蜂回到他們的畫板

to rethink their beehive design.

重新思考他們的蜂巢應該怎樣設計。

One suggested triangles,

有一個建議三角形，

"We can use triangles. Look! They fit together perfectly."

「嘿，你們看，我們可以用三角形！ 他們看起來很完美。」

Another bee suggested squares.

另一個建議使用正方形。

Finally, a third bee piped up and said,

最後，第三隻蜜蜂尖聲地說，

"Pentagons don't seem to work, but hexagons do!

「五角形看起來好像不是很適合， 但是六角形很棒！

We want the one that will use the least amount of wax

我們要那種可以使用最少蜂蠟

and be able to store the most amount of honey.

同時可以儲存最大量的蜂蜜。

Yes, I think that's the hexagon."

是的，我認為就是六角形了。」

"Why?"

「為什麼？」

"It looks more like the circle than the others."

「它比起其他形狀看起來更像圓形。」

"But how do we know for sure?"

「但我們怎麼能夠確定呢?」

To find out, the industrious insect architects

要找到答案，這些勤奮的昆蟲建築師

calculated the areas of the triangle, the square and the hexagon

計算了三角形，正方形， 及六角形的面積

and found that the hexagon was, in fact,

進而發現，果然六角形

the shape that gave them the most storage space.

能帶給他們最大的儲存空間。

They agreed on an ideal size and returned to work.

他們同意這個理想的大小 並且回去工作。

The space efficient comb that is a bee's trademark today,

今天蜂巢有效的空間利用 成了蜜蜂的註冊商標，

is probably the result of this trial and error,

這也許就是長時間來生物演化歷史

but over long periods of evolutionary history.

不斷嘗試及更正的結果，

However, it paid off.

然而，辛苦沒有白費。

Peek into any hive --

觀察任何一個蜂窩－

with your protective goggles and netting on, of course --

當然必須戴上護目鏡及網狀面罩－

and you'll see the end result: a beautiful compact honeycomb

你就會看到這樣結果： 一個美麗且簡潔的蜂巢

that any architect would have be proud to design.

是任何建築師都會驕傲的設計。