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Bird Navigation Based On Quantum Zeno Effect
KentuckyFC writes "How birds use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate has puzzled researchers for decades. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has pointed to the possibility that a weak magnetic field can influence the outcome of a certain type of chemical reaction involving the recombination of pairs of ions in bird retinas. The trouble is that the ion recombination is known to happen too quickly for the Earth's weak magnetic field to have any effect. Now it looks as if the quantum Zeno effect explains all, says one researcher (abstract). This is the watched-pot-never-boils effect in which the act of observing a quantum system maintains it for longer than expected. That's extraordinary news because it means a quantum sensor is determining the macroscopic behavior of living birds."
Actually the bee problem is mostly identified with pollution. Air born pollution is limiting the range that pollen and other floral scents travel in the air thus limiting the mobility of bees.
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
Actually the bee problem is mostly identified with a virus.
"finding IAPV in a bee sample correctly distinguished CCD from non-CCD status 96.1 percent of the time."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070906140803.htm
...well they are thinking that plants use a type of Quantum gate for Photosynthesis: ...
http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/PBD-quantum-secrets.html
It that counts as quantum mechanics influencing macroscopic behavior.
Most sensors don't directly make use of specifically quantum effects. They can be described purely in classical terms.
It's like saying that my car is a relativistic vehicle. Sure, it obeys the theories of relativity, but Newton is more than enough to describe it.
Or describing my notebook as a quantum computer.
When people (even non-physicists) talk about quantum mechanical effects, its accepted that they're talking about UNIQUELY quantum mechanical effects. If you see some sort of mysticism in that then that's your misunderstanding.