A Thunk is a beguilingly simple-looking question about everyday things that stops you in your tracks and helps you start to look at the world in a whole new light.
Thunk 1:
If we took away the black stripes from a Zebra, what colour would the Zebra be?
34 comments:
Ok, Winchester, what do you think? You've all seen zebras, what colour is a zebra if we take away its black stripes?
While most people believe that Zebras are white with black stripes, embryological evidence shows that they actually are quite the opposite. So if you strip a zebra off its stripes, then only its skin shall be left, displaying the zebra in its hairless, stripped glory - defenseless in the wild, without its stripes to help it blend in with the background, thus making it easy prey.
Come to think of it, the same can be said about human beings. Strip them off all the fancy jewelry, the million-dollar hair extensions, and the superficial clothes, and you've got a defenseless,frail, and insecure being with the inability to hide all flaws.
Then we are prey... Easy, easy prey.
*DUN DUN DUN*
:)
A Zebra without its stripes?!?! that to me, sounds as bizarre as a guitar without strings, a bed frame without a mattress, a an iPod without music ; completely futile.
Like how Arizza correctly stated, the sole purpose of the stripes on a zebra's body is to efficaciously CAMOUFLAGE it. We can pretty much determine the importance of this lineament as the zebra's entire existence ultimately depends on effective disguise.
My conclusion : I personally find the idea of a stripe-less zebra, rather absurd..
-Utsa Bhatia
Like Arizza and Utsa clearly mentioned, a zebra is not a zebra without it's stripes.
A zebra crossing is called that, for a reason; black and white stripes, as it symbolizes the stripes of the animal.
Technically speaking, one would asume that once black stripes would be 'removed' from a zebra, it will appear white. To be honest, it's the first thing that came to my mind, and it's what alot of people would conclude too.
Yet the answer can't be that straightforward, so I decided to research a little further, and it turns out that, a zebra happens to be dark skinned, underneath those stripes, which [as they've mentioned] is a use of camouflage.
To conclude, I have always envisioned Zebras as white without their black stripes, but science has proven us wrong; yet again.
-Mehvash Khan, 10G1 =]
Although alot of people may think this as a very orthodox statement, I personally imagine a zebra's body as white without its black stripes.When i read the thunk, that was the first thought that came to me. However, had the question been the opposite, i.e 'What colour is a zebra if we take away its white stripes', I would imagine the animal as completely black. I looked it up right now, 'Zebra stripes', but to be honest I havent really read much on it, because Im really just giving my personal opinion here. Scientific evidence, and what Arizza and Utsa have spoken about up there ^ tell me that assuming a zebra as white without its black stripes is quite stereotypical, and I agree, but I'm also quite sure that Im not alone to think this way.
:D
Zebra's are naturally dark skinned animals with white stripes where the pigmentation is suppressed. The stripes also help Zebras be able to camouflage themselves in the wild, so basically stripping a zebra off its stripes is stripping it off it's camouflage making it weak and defenseless. They also say that every pattern on a zebra's stripe is different. In my opinion, stripping a zebra off its camouflage or the pattern that makes it unique is like stripping it off it's own uniqueness making it fit in along with everything else.
Well, I think what matters here is the manner in which the stripes are to be removed. As Arizza said stripping a zebra of its black stripes leaves it with no skin at all. But what if were to remove the stripes by simply covering it up, or in other words to paint the black stripes white. I know it sounds absurd, but its still a way to look at it.
My conclusion: There can be many answers to this question. It simply depends upon how you decide to remove a zebra'a black stripes.
Most of the comments here state that Zebras have their black stripes to camouflage themselves and save their lives in times of danger,which is correct.But the main reason of them being able to camoflague themselves,is that they travel in herds.
This allows them to confuse the predator thats about to attack them,as the predator has to decide which one of the zebras to attack.But with so many of them standing together it becomes difficult to spot one actual Zebra.And so the predator waits untill one zebra walks away from the herd and then it spots its target and attacks it.So you see,every living being has some feature to protect itself.Like a goat with its horns or a hammerhead fish with its hammer head feature.
Likewise are Zebras.So if not black striped,I guess Zebras would be another contrasting colour,perhaps blue.After all,they'll use it to protect themselves and nothing else.
Sonal Vohra
Year 11 B1
A zebra without it's black stripes? Hmmm.. I've always esteemed that the Zebra had a white coat with black stripes! After reading the above comments, I'm amazed to know it is quite the contrary. But old beliefs and ideas are hard to overcome, therefore when I consider what colour a zebra would be if you took away it's black stripes, I would still imagine it as a snowy white animal resembling a cross breed of a horse and a donkey! :P
I've actually pondered this question on my own a couple of times. Seconding Mehvash here and saying, hell, a zebra is not a zebra without it's stripes.
But if you did somehow shave off all the black stripes - rather, the black fur - then you would end up with a very naked, presumably pink and white zebra which would really be a sorry sight :( A zebra's beauty lies in it's unique stripes, and if you take them away it's just another white horse.
...albeit with some naked pink patches, but that's besides the point. Makes me want to hug the poor creature.
...Now that I think about it; if you strip a man of all his wealth, he would again be a very pitiful sight. That is to say, if you take a way the individuality of a person, what makes them different, they would actually turn out to be very ordinary.
Damn. One thing does lead to another.
I'm not satisfied with this. The question is going to keep me up all night, I'm sure.
Neiha~
(So apparently zebras have dark skin under their fur. That's disappointing. Pink skin is more endearing.)
I absoulutely agree with Tannya's and Faiza's interpretation of the question as the first thought that came to my mind when I read the question was that a zebra without it's black stripes would merely be white and would resemble a pony or a horse! And I must admit, as Mehvash and Neiha have both mentioned, a zebra without it's stripes is just not a zebra!
I would most agree with Arizza on this one. A zebra is merely known for its contrast of black and white fur. Which helps them blend in to one another, therefor confusing their prey.
Come to think of it,Zebra's are a lot like everyone else. We hide behind our skins where we feel most safe. No one really knows how we look like underneath everything.
Okay enough rambling on about Our skin. Back to the Question. In my opinion, a zebra when stripped of the black striped is merely White :D
not my final answer though :(
I'm going to be thinking about this question for quite some time.
Eliqa Shaza :)
All what i see here is thoughts in our reality. I think of questions like this philosophically. Mr.Roberts, if you are familiar with basic philosophy, then you are aware of Socrates's studies as the first Greek philosopher. He carried out all types of philosophy, and this could be classified in that field. If we take away its black stripes, logically, we would assume that there would be naked skin underneath, as how Arizza explained, but, the hidden clue i think is in your question, is that no-one has ever accomplished something like this before, so, logically, we cannot know what colour a zebra is if we take away its black stripes.
But this isn't my conclusion. We all exist in different realities, which change along with the choices we make everyday. See how in Utzaaa's reality, for example, he would find it weird to acknowledge a zebra without its black stripes, but, why?
Plato once asked a question like this to his mentor, Socrates, and, do you know what the reply was? It is that we are so accustomed to this lifestyle, we forget questions about life itself, we tend to hide down in this comfortable tunnel of ours and live our lives, trying so hard to block out the reality around us, and focus on things such as school, or work, which, to me, is not life at all, even though my parents say this is life, and i think to myself, its not life, its our tough society, where everyone is for himself.
But lets not get too far with this, for i can spend more than a year explaining, and no-one would care. I bet right now, whoever is reading this, is thinking what sad loser would write something like this about a simple question. This tells me that you have a weak and closed mind, blocking out all facts of life, and your mind is rejecting the most important of thoughts.
Wow, i really have gone too far with this.
Anyway, the question that you have asked is not a simple one, but thinking logically, you cannot know whether it would be white, or just skin. Arizza said something about "evidence"? You cannot believe other people in matters like this, no matter how wise, even scientists, for they will lie to keep our minds at rest, for some people can lose their head just thinking over and over again.
My conclusion; No-one will ever get this question right (or wrong), for it is one of the many mysteries that God has set forward for us to find, or to never find.
woww....striping a zebra of its glorious black stripes.....imagine that!!!!!
It was previously believed that zebras were white animals with black stripes and thats exactly what I thought!!!!
if you strip a zebra of its stripes then its dark skin shall be exposed leaving it vunerable to predators because the stripes act as a camouflage mechanism. A zebra would also be lost without its stripes as they can recognize on other by their distinctive stripes!!!!!
.....Yusra Abid Shah 10g1..........
WOW, if I thought this was an intriguing question most of the responses got me thinking even deeper!!
I have questioned this myself a number of times but never really came up with an answer similar to the famous question what was first the egg or the chicken? After doing a little research I found that contrary to regular belief a zebra is actually black with white stripes!! But I think I have to agree with Sonal Vohra on this one, his point is extremely valid, wheather it is black on white or white on black the soul purpose is to confuse predators. Lions, the main predator of the zebra, are colour blind so the vertical stripes help them blend in with grass. A zebra is only a zebra because of it's stripes, not the colour of the stripe!!
So HIGH 5 Neiha I think I'll settle for pink stripes too!!
=D
At first glance, a herd of zebras might look alike but it is actually their stripes which determine their difference from the rest. Just like how our fingerprints are genuinely unique and distinguishable. It is the zebra’s stripes contrasting themselves. A conniving question raised by Mr. Roberts, ‘If we took away the black stripes from a zebra, what colour would a zebra be?’. In my opinion, I have to agree with what Arizza said, its’ skin will be left, a straight-forward answer, its’ skin will be left basking under the blistering hot sun. Looking into a different perspective, I think if you take away zebra’s stripes it wouldn’t be a zebra anymore, unlike a Dalmatian which has black spots, but if you take away its’ spots, it will still be a dog, but in zebra’s case it would just definitely be a plain equid.
I don’t know much about zebra, so I did a few research and found out that its’ stripes help them withstand the intense heat. They did not specifically mention if it was their black stripe or white. But either one are pertinent for the zebra’s survival. Thinking out of the box, I came up with an eccentric conclusion, if we took away a zebra’s black stripes; it will suffer from a severe skin cancer and will eventually die.
:S
Karen
Well... firstly, we're hardly sure whether a zebra is white with black stripes or black with white stripes. Most articles refer to zebras as "animals known for their black AND white stripes". Research all differs. Secondly, a zebra without stripes simply wouldn't be a zebra at all. It would resemble one of two close relatives, horses or asses. Thus, taking away a zebras stripes would eliminate the reason for calling it a zebra.
Some fabulous comments here - I'm very impressed! Just a brief observation. Many above have said a zebra without stripes would not be a zebra. I wonder if that's true? There are albino zebras (all white) - they're still zebras, surely? I think a zebra is a zebra depending on its DNA and the number of chromosomes it has. We could have a mutant human with striped skin - he'd still be a human - not a zebra.
Also there are zonkeys, zorses, and miscellaneous zebroids (crosses between zebras and horses and donkeys). They have stripes, but are not full zebras. Check up pics of them on the net! They're cool! ☺
Now that I think of it that way, I guess your right Mr. Roberts. Afterall, it's what you are on the inside not what you portray on the outside!
Hmmm well if I saw a zebra without stripes I would not think it was a true zebra, I would think of it more as a white horse with a zebra background.
I feel that you take away a zebra's identity, if you take away it's black stripes. The whole world knows zebra's for their black and white body that often has people wondering whether zebras are black with white stripes or white with black stripes.
Since the question here is what would it look like if you took away it's black stripes,my atomatic answer would be, as lauren said,a white horse!?
But, then again,why not something else? maybe zebras are this unique species where there are patterns and shapes or designs under its skin, who knows? I definately wouldn't want to be the one removing off its skin just because im curious!The poor thing!
A zebra without stripes would be a totally witty thing to see.. a zebra is known for its white stripes on its darkened body.. its serves as a cue and a form of identification.. the stripes reveal the beauty of this unique animal and it's the stripes that create an extraordinary animal out of the zebra. Besides it also makes the zebra feel secure. Therefore looking at a zebra without stripes would just be like looking at a flower without petals!!
- Feba Thomas
wow!!!! a zebra with no stripes haha that is a very good one hmm well i cant really imagine a zebra without stripes but if there realy was such a thing it would be quit bizzare and unnatural.
anyways a zebra without stripes is litrally dead meat in the wild because it has lost all its form of camoflauge. Nnamdi
hmm, a zebra with no stripes, that is very odd. I think that if a you take away its stripes it would be all white, then its chance of survival in the wild would greatly diminish due to the absence of camouflage (the stripes).
A zebra without stripes...is unfortunately a very unhappy one..for he will be up to ridicule between his friends and other animals !!!also quite bare and without protection from detection!!Easy prey and rather lost without his grace....lets leave his stripped coat on...and worry about which coat we are to don ...on this coming winter's morn... and let's leave zebra dear with his protective and beautiful coat on!!!
A zebra without its black strips is one weird zebra to start with :)
The black strips help to protect it in the wild and help it to camouflage with its surroundings and the backround.`
Looking at all the comments and reading them i have not just done what i was supose to do and comment but i have also learnt some new deatails about zebras like what Arizza said ''While most people believe that Zebras are white with black stripes, embryological evidence shows that they actually are quite the opposite.''
Dylan Grumley 10B1
I think that it depends on personal opinion. Some people think that it's what is on the inside that counts, while others believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For example, if you took away a persons makeup or clothes, they would still be a person. If you take away a zebras stripes, it would still be a zebra. However, many people wouldn't see it this way. If I saw a Zebra with no stripes, to me, it wouldn't really be a zebra. All zebras are known worldwide for their strips, it's their identity if you will. Taking away the black strips, you would be left with a weird, horse like thing? So back to the original point, it depends on how you see things. A zebras stripes is what its known for. A stripe-less zebra...weirdddddddd. -_-
Rachel Long 10G1 :)
zebras are black and white so if you take away the black stripes you will end up with a white zebra
Black and white stripes put together in an alternative way symbolizes a zebra, without this nature’s unique pattern a zebra can be commonly mistaken as a horse. If we take this into the human world, the effect is quite similar. If a famous celebrity lost her fame, money, all her designer clothes and jewellery, all the luxuries in her life, her pride, the things that represents her then she would just be another ordinary person leading an ordinary life on this planet.
This question is peculiar because zebras are black with white stripes and not the other way around.
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