Need a problem solved? Get the world's tallest man to do it!
Bao Xishun & the dolphins he
From my time here, I've come to realise that such a pool of human resource has created a commonly-encountered mindset to problem-solving in China which looks firstly at human-powered solution over innovation when faced with new challenges. China has a long history of using overwhelming man-power to find solutions to problems. This approach continues to be a winner in a country of 1.3 billion people. I serve evidence for this argument as two main examples. Firstly, the huge amount of under-employed staff in almost any retail store in Shanghai which stalk you when you pass by their designated selling zone. They provide unparalleled capacity for service (if you can distract them from their text messaging). Secondly, as you walk past any number of streets in Shanghai, you can observe teams of workers milling over worksites, hand-demolishing buildings by knocking out individual bricks and metal components for re-use or recycling. For a contrast, In my home country, you would have to stalk a retail employee for service in a clothing store, and it would be a few guys in machines (or some well-placed explosives) to bring down the equivalent structures and to cart the unsorted debris away for landfill.
But when it comes to problems with wildlife, you wouldn't really think that the human approach would have been one that high on your list of possible solutions.
Enter plastic-eating dolphins and the world's tallest man. When regular plastic-removing dolphin surgical tools didn't work (huh?), maybe the world's tallest man replete with (perhaps) the world's longest arms would be able to solve the problem? Yes!!! Human power wins once again! I am 100% positive that I wouldn't have wanted to be either of the dolphins in this scenario.
Who the hell came up with this idea?
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I bet the dolphins are happy that the plastic toy weren't stuck further down their drain. Would have been dirty. But they could have left out the towels for after the "surgery".