以前公厕有一种冲水装置，十分简便而有效，但当然现在的公厕整体上要更干净更舒适。
那种简易的冲水器，就是悬空挂着的一个大水壶，有一个长嘴，略高于大水壶有一个自来水口，水流较小，一旦装满大水壶，重力作用下，大水壶就会倾倒，一壶水冲下粪水沟或者尿水沟。
这种装置的主要作用是提供了一壶水突然冲下来的那种一股猛劲儿的冲力，一定程度上节约了用水又具有足够冲力。其动力来自地球引力和自来水管网的水压力。它当然仅仅是人的一个工具，服务于人的目的。
假设某一外星智慧路过地球表面，只匆匆录像了这个装置后，就离开地球。回去后，它们重放录像，对录像里的冲水装置进行研究。
假设，它们还录像了一块石头滚下山坡，在坡底，有一个蟑螂恰好躲过那块冲下来的石头。
外星人仔细观看并研究了录像里面的冲水装置，滚石和蟑螂，得出结论。
这个星球（地球）至少有三种可以自主活动的生物，一种生物停在一个位置上不动，通过过滤一种透明的液体获得营养（冲水装置），一种生物可以追击别的生物（滚石），最后一种作为前一生物的食物，有躲避危险的能力（蟑螂）。
外星人的观察是有道理的，但显然它们的资料有限，使它们无法区分一种人造装置，一块受重力支配而冲下山的滚石跟一个真正的生命形态蟑螂的不同。
The similarities and differences between flushingdevices, rolling stones, and cockroaches
Public toilets used to have a flushingdevice that was very simple and efficient, but of course now public toilets arecleaner and more comfortable overall.
The simple flusher was a large kettlesuspended in the air, with a long spout and a tap slightly higher than thekettle. Once the kettle was full, it would be tipped over by gravity, and akettle of water would be flushed down the dung ditch or the urine ditch.
The main function of this device is toprovide a sudden rush of a large kettle of water, saving water to some extentand having enough momentum.
It is powered by the earth's gravity andthe water pressure from the water network.
It is，of course，only a tool for humans, serving their purposes.
Suppose an extraterrestrial intelligencepassed by the surface of Earth and hastily recorded the device before leaving.
When they got back, they replayed thefootage and studied the flushing mechanism in the footage.
Let's say they also videotaped a rockrolling down a hill, and at the bottom of the hill, a cockroach just happenedto dodge the rock.
The aliens carefully watched and studiedthe flushing device, rolling stone, and cockroaches in the video, and came to aconclusion.
There are at least three creatures on thisplanet (Earth) that can move autonomously. One creature is stationary in aposition and receives nutrients by filtering a transparent liquid (flushingdevice), the other creature can pursue other creatures (rolling stones), andthe last one can be food for previous life creatures with the ability to avoiddanger (cockroaches).
The observation of aliens is reasonable,but their limited data clearly makes it difficult for them to distinguishbetween an artificial device, a rolling stone driven down the mountain bygravity, and a real life form cockroach.
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