OLD SCIENTIST

摘要

WE ARE not in the business of endorsing stereotypes, but few will be surprised to find that the nation exporting the greatest number of sheep pelts is New Zealand. But don't assume that when you've seen one pelt, you've seen them all. Some sheep have thinner skin, some have scars from illness or trauma, and lots of pelts have holes from tick bites. In our 3 February 1996 issue we reported that Industrial Research, a state-owned New Zealand company, had come up with a machine that could laser-scan pelts, spot the imperfections and help to grade the skins accordingly.