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Special Molecule Gives Birds a Magnetic Biocompass
Aaron Rowe writes "CORDIS news reports that a team of scientists has identified a family of molecules called cryptochromes that allow migratory birds to sense magnetic fields. Curiously enough, these molecules only function when accompanied by blue light. The article also mentions, 'The researchers also suggest that, as cryptochromes have been strongly conserved throughout evolution, all biological organisms could have the ability to detect magnetic fields, even if they do not use them.'"
/.'s can migrate to the North Pole
Where do I sign up to get these powers enabled? I totally would go for it, even if it is a really lame 6th or 7th sense. Like, if I was lost in the woods with no cell phone and nothing to make a shadow with, and no running water... it could be mildly useful!
Does a line appended to your comment give your post meaning in and of itself, or only in relation to those without?
And since radio is just a modulated electromagnetic signal, we should be able to pick up Rock 'n Roll on our teeth by exposing them to blue LEDs. It remains only to train our brains to understand this new sixth sense...
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
Where he was reading Brief History of Time and read "light is effected by gravity", to which he concluded that it was easier to drop things in the dark.
-1 offtopic.
Mind you, maybe I could strap a blue LED to an albatross and find my way home when I'm drunk.
+1 ontopic.
Task Mangler
I'm way ahead of you.
---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?
Oh get over it already. All of you have been running around like a little girl with a skinned knee for 5 damned years. Suck it up.
This comes bundled with Human Condtion V1.0. For $19.99 you can upgrade to Navigation Power User.... or you can wait for MS Vista.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
With a nose the size of mine I'm not looking forward to the polar shift. I'll have to wear kneepads and a helmet.
Task Mangler
Usually that sensation is followed by the sound of a metal plate ripping through the back of your skull and adhering firmly to the inside of the scanner.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
6/20 vision (assuming you're using the British/meters notation) means your friend had to stand 6 meters from something that others can see clearly at 20 meters. The only doctors wanting to study those eyes would be optometrists wanting to sell him glasses.
--
make install -not war
Noone else knew how to spell it. Nerd.
(I kid, I kid. In fact I just finished watching The Empire Strikes Back not 5 minutes ago and came straight to slashdot)
Yes you can. Just remove the cryptochromes and see if they can find their way. I'm sure we could just sew them back on afterward.
We should be training these birds for credit card validation...
One quack good/accepted, two quacks bad/rejected.
Definately better than those stupid card swipe machines!
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
I appear to have a similar talent, but mine only manifests when I am driving another nail into the wall.
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
No way, that stuff messes up your brain! Math just... okay, math messes up your brain too.