Sharks: Genocidal or Docile?

Summary: Here are some other marvelous things about sharks:
• They can’t swim backwards. Some fish can, but most sharks in general cannot. Most sharks would suffocate if they were dragged backwards by a speeding boat out for a joyride. It would be like a human sitting under a showerhead – on high, compacted power – for half an hour. You’d drown eventually.
• If a shark stops swimming, it will sink, not die. Contrary to common belief, sharks are actually filled with oxygen, so if they stop swimming, they can’t stay afloat. They sort of depend on staying active, because they need water running over their gills in order to receive oxygen from it. This means that they can’t stay asleep for more than a few minutes – unless they are already on the sea floor.
• Sharks can’t stop randomly like humans. They have to slow down. Think about it – imagine you are a shark. You’re going 20 mph. Now try stopping using your tailfin –oh, and you’re not allowed to swim backwards. What happened?
• The Big Question: Can sharks smell fear? Well, whoever spread that rumor was not only an idiot, but was wrong too. Oops on their part. Sharks are mostly bind. In fact, 2/3 of a shark’s brain is devoted to smell. They rely on their nose and use a type of echolocation to do their hunting. So, they will know if you’re coming, and if you’re causing a ruckus, but they won’t see you doing it. Oh the irony.
Impact (More like advice):Here’s a sticky situation: a shark is swimming towards you. “OMG, what now?!” Well, first, don’t panic. It will incline you to do something stupid like get in the way of the shark’s path. Most of the time, it will swim right past you. After all, what does it need to eat you for? Its last meal is probably still in its stomach. (Believe it or not, sharks can slow their digestive systems, so when they eat, they won’t have to do so again for a limit of 3 months!) And most sharks don’t even see you as a threat. I wouldn’t say they’re scared of you, per se, but I still wouldn’t get close to it unless you know what kind it is or how to deal with it. So if you come by a shark, go over the basic fundamentals of Stranger Danger: If you don’t know them, avoid them. If you see them approaching you, ignore them. Chances are, they will past by without a second glance. Long story short, don’t worry. Most of the time, they won’t hurt you. Most of the time.
Critique: Despite the impression the smash-hit Jaws gave about sharks being underwater serial killers, sharks are like snakes. They are falsely feared because of their potential to do something dangerous. Oh don’t worry, some will kill you on sight no matter what you do. But usually, snakes won’t bother you unless you start screaming, poking it with a rather large stick, calling your dog on it, or all of the above. So unless you want trouble, just be nice.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006050613028
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080501175954AAqAZqP
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061111102626AAN6Q4K
http://library.thinkquest.org/J001458/facts.htm