Electromagnetic Noise Found To Affect Bird Navigation 71
Rambo Tribble (1273454) writes "A 7-year German study has come to a troubling conclusion: the EM noise from human activities is interfering with birds' magnetic 'compass' [paywalled paper, but above-average abstract], and potentially disrupting migratory behavior. While science is unclear how the birds' compasses work, it is theorized it employs the quantum phenomenon of electron spin. As the lead researcher, Prof Henrik Mouritsen, is quoted as saying, 'A very small perturbation of these electron spins would actually prevent the birds from using their magnetic compass.' The BBC has a nice summary article, as well."
Design standards (Score:1)
There's a difference between "good enough" and "elegant" when it comes to design.
Our society is a chaotic blast of all sorts of noise, from physical sound waves, to electromagnetics, to sheer ugliness.
It doesn't reflect a consistent design philosophy.
The high number of electromagnetic wave emitters inevitably creates other problems as well. But we're so focused on "good enough" that we ignore this.
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that is a economic philosophy not design philosophy
This Study is Not Just Hogwash ... (Score:3)
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Re: Only 99.99%? (Score:2)
All that "Mars Mission" technology will only scale to a very small population. Its a bit too late now to evolve any methane-breathing abilities.
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So they still find their way? (Score:4, Interesting)
So if I read this right, while they are in the presence of electromagnetic fields they can't orient themselves via their internal compass, but the moment they leave that field they regain their orientation. So all they have to do is fly in any direction, and they will eventually get oriented. I'm not sure I see how big a problem this is. It would be unusual for them to experience it in nature, but it seems like something they would naturally recover from.
Are their any studies that tell us that large numbers of migratory birds are flying the wrong direction? (as opposed to saying that they might, if they are constantly in an abnormal electromagnetic field)
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I wasn't trying to act like an expert.. I was trying to ask a question... You know, to correct for the fact that I only briefly skimmed the article, and because migratory birds are not in any way part of my day to day job.
Re:So they still find their way? (Score:5, Informative)
According to the BBC summary they also orient according to the sun and stars. This disrupts one of three systems. In the US, there's some decent evidence that major landmarks like rivers and lakes are used even by birds that are not water birds, too. It's certainly not a huge problem for most migratory birds. Lack of food sources at their traditional migration times may be much more important.
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According to the BBC summary they also orient according to the sun and stars. This disrupts one of three systems.
Except the sun and stars are not both visible at the same time. So it disrupts one of two systems effectively. How many birds of you see flying at night anyhow?
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And at night stars may be not visible thanks to light pollution.
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How many birds of you see flying at night anyhow?
Pretty much none, nighttime being the time when I'm indoors a lot and sleeping. Even when I'm outside, it's DARK. My inability to see birds flying at night should not be an indicator that birds are not flying at night.
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Many birds fly 18 hours straight. Some species longer.
Cornell [cornell.edu] has [birdcast.info] some information you may want to read, as do some [houstonaudubon.org] other [audubonmagazine.org] sources [nytimes.com]. Birds fly before sunrise and after sunset, even in complete darkness. Some species fly right through the night during migration.
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Yes (Score:2)
birds tested far from sources of electromagnetic noise required no screening to orient with their magnetic compass
So (as I read it) they might get disoriented when they fly too close to a cell tower, but once clear they're okay.
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From the abstract, I didn't see where the were testing above 5 MHz.
Cell towers operate at 750-2100MHz most above 1700MHz
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I think the bigger problem is that the avian electromagnetic sense is tied to their eyesight. So the electromagnetic noise isn't just causing them to fly in the wrong direction, it's interfering with their ability to see. This may cause them to run into buildings, wind turbines, and power lines more often than usual.
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Adapt or die. (Score:2, Funny)
Figure it out birds! Or else we'll replace you with lifelike robot birds that don't crap on my car.
Re:Adapt or die. (Score:4, Funny)
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This is exactly why they crap on our cars, picnic tables, and heads. It's retaliation, pure and simple. :)
That's why they need to be fitted with these. [challengertalk.com]
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Is this why they fly into airplanes? (Score:1)
Could this explain why birds are frequently found crashing into planes or being sucked into jet engines? The plane's own equipment screwing with their navigation until they fly into it?
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Many birds see polarised light patterns, a characteristic of water in nature. Very few natural things look like water in polarised light.
Polished metal does though. Glass too. And many painted surfaces.
This is why birds keep hitting windows. To their senses, the window looks like a nice pool of water to land in. As do parked cars.
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I would have thought that millions of years of evolution would have taught birds that vertical water surfaces don't exist.
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Nor did glass, until recently.
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I don't buy the "glass mistaken for water" theory.
Why would a non-aquatic bird try to land in water? And head-first at full speed, at that?
I think they just don't see the glass and assume it's an open space. Birds avoid glass with a spiderweb pattern that's visible only in UV light.
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In the case of window collisions, yes - again, glass isn't something they evolved to cope with, so they have no instinct to be aware of invisible obsticles.
The polarised car thing is more of an issue for insects.
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you mean like water falls?
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To their senses, the window looks like a nice pool of water to land in. As do parked cars.
Whoa could this explain why birds specifically poop on cars so much? Maybe they have some kind of instinct to aim their poop at water sources (oddly enough).
I'll have to see how much bird poop my car attracts when I paint it with plasti-dip which should look different.
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To their senses, the window looks like a nice pool of water to land in. As do parked cars.
Whoa could this explain why birds specifically poop on cars so much? Maybe they have some kind of instinct to aim their poop at water sources (oddly enough).
I don't know... Has cognitive bias been eliminated as a possible explanation? Speaking for myself, I tend not to pay much notice when birds shit someplace/on something I haven't paid to clean.
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Came here for the bird denialists, leaving satisfied.
Magnetic particles (Score:1)
While science is unclear how the birds' compasses work, it is theorized it employs the quantum phenomenon of electron spin.
There are actual magnetic materials in the relevant cells, working as a compass. Confusing readers is optional.
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It's not as simple as a compass that points them in the right direction. Birds use some seriously weird quantum tricks to see magnetic fie