Some Birds Can See Magnetic Fields 238
jamie found a post on the Not Exactly Rocket Science blog on research indicating that some birds can literally see magnetic fields, but only if the vision in their right eye is sharp (abstract at Current Biology). "The magnetic sense of birds was first discovered in robins in 1968, and its details have been teased out ever since. Years of careful research have told us that the ability depends on light and particularly on the right eye and the left half of the brain. The details still aren’t quite clear but, for now, the most likely explanation involves a molecule called cryptochrome. Cryptochrome is found in the light-sensitive cells of a bird’s retina and scientists think that it affects just how sensitive those cells are. ... The upshot is that magnetic fields put up a filter of light or dark patches over what a bird normally sees. These patches change as the bird turns and tilts its head, providing it with a visual compass made out of contrasting shades."
Re:Cryptochrome? (Score:2, Funny)
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Cryptochrome away
Re:Cryptochrome? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:augmented reality (Score:5, Funny)
They give us those nice bright colors (Score:5, Funny)
Re:augmented reality (Score:5, Funny)
augmented reality at its best.
Makes me think what other "natural augmented reality senses" are possible, or even already exist in other species.
I'm able to see stupid people at work all the time. Does that count?
Re:augmented reality (Score:4, Funny)
In other words, seeing stupid people in the mirror.
Re:augmented reality (Score:5, Funny)
Most guys can walk into a room with 100 people in it and identify all the hot women in half a second.
Re:Why haven't we evolved to see IR or microwave? (Score:4, Funny)
Specifically, females with a 4th set of cones.
I remember the female from Total Recall with the 3rd cone, but I never knew there were women with four sets(!). That's eight, right?
Who cares about UV sight?
Re:augmented reality (Score:3, Funny)
Electrical currents: Sharks, possibly among others, can sense the electrical impulses that make your muscles move at distances long enough to make this a useful hunting tool. Don't know if anyone else has picked up this trick...
The platypus also has this. It's called electro-reception.
Can anyone think of other physical phenomena that may or may not have biological sensors capable of detecting it, and any known cases?
Don't know of any biological sense to detect radiation (alpha, beta, gamma). I also know that my wife lacks the sense for detecting my humour.
Re:augmented reality (Score:5, Funny)
Most women can sense desperation the instant a guy walks into a room.
Augmented Perception (Score:3, Funny)
You've got me thinking. Goggles that let me see magnetic fields haven't changed reality(*), they've just changed my ability to perceive reality. All this "augmented reality" stuff should be called augmented perception.
(*) Assuming objectivism. I'm talking as a scientists. All you subjectivists can go have a party somewhere else.
Re:augmented reality (Score:5, Funny)
And, in rare instances, even before.
Re:augmented reality (Score:3, Funny)
"eLabsWorld did it." - PitBullChan