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Special Molecule Gives Birds a Magnetic Biocompass

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bio-magneto-driver dept.

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.'"

11 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. Hrm... by PieSquared · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!

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    1. Re:Hrm... by Smallpond · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Where do I sign up to get these powers enabled?"

      It's a BIOS setting. You have to turn it on at conception.

    2. Re:Hrm... by ozmanjusri · · Score: 3, Funny
      You can see this the way neuton discovered it

      Are you referring to the legendary Jake Neuton, illegitimate scion of a brief, but passionate affair between Sir Isaac Newton and an uncharged subatomic particle, and author of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Typographica?

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    3. Re:Hrm... by JeffSh · · Score: 3, Funny

      i wonder if i can reboot...

  2. Radio by Spazmania · · Score: 4, Funny

    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...

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  3. Reminds me of a Bill Bailey joke by Centurix · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

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  4. Hey birds! by cryptochrome · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm way ahead of you.

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  5. Re:I know this is SERIOUSLY OT but I need to ask. by Rix · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

  6. You have Navigation Lite Installed by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.

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    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  7. Re:Iron in your nose by Centurix · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

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  8. Re:My brother-in-law does sense it by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

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