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Bird Navigation Based On Quantum Zeno Effect

Posted by kdawson on from the schroedinger's-parrot dept.

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."

7 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Weird by MBCook · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So, from reading the article, the birds observing the chemical reaction, thus slowing it down long enough for the magnetic field of the Earth to have a detectable effect when it shouldn't.

    Quantum mechanics is so weird. Neat!

    But when the researchers looked for this, shouldn't that looking have caused the metaphorical pot to be watched thus inducing the effect, or had no one tried to measure this simply because they knew the reaction didn't take long enough (or shouldn't, ignoring quantum mechanics)?

    Bonus questions: The article said that had proved this by using a strong electric field to alter the way this reaction goes. Would it be possible to inject something into the birds that would prevent them from "watching" this reaction, so it would go at it's "normal" speed?

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    1. Re:Weird by TheRealMindChild · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually this reminds me of those Old machines that old astronomers used to try to explain how the heavens worked. Before we knew that we weren't the center of the universe... before the understanding of retrograde motion, they just kept adding gears to these things to make it work closer and closer to what they saw. They thought the answer to everything was "It must be more complex than what we understand". If I have learned anything in my life worth knowing is that the universe than we want to give it credit for.

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  2. I have a question... by Tenebrousedge · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Is this a first? Are there any other known instances of quantum mechanics influencing the macroscopic behavior of anything else? Butterflies, for example? And what happens when the poles shift?

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    1. Re:I have a question... by zappepcs · · Score: 3, Interesting

      A damned good question. Could changing magnetic fields of the Earth and the Sun be the cause of the bee syndrome that is killing some 30% of all commercial bees in North America?

      Bees, like birds, just don't seem to get lost very often... until now. There seems to be no practical explanation of why the bees are disappearing. This might do it. Given that bees are smaller, perhaps the effects are greater on bees? Did the article give any clue as to how the volume of chemical might affect the interactions?

      Quite interesting. Given the story of evolution, and knowing that many animals use electromagnetic and quantum type navigation, how likely is it that humans have some similar capabilities?

      Not to get too whacked, but does any of this go anywhere toward explaining ghosts etc?

      All good stuff

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    2. Re:I have a question... by Anonymous+Monkey · · Score: 1, Interesting

      If this occurs in the retina a pole shift might not have any major effect on bird behavior. Eyes process what the landscape looks like, the possession of the sun, landmarks, and so on. Because the ability to sense 'north' occurs in the eyes, logically, the bird would take into account all information it's eyes gathered. This would provide redundancy and increased accuracy, along with making a pole shift an issue of recalibration, and not relearning entire thought processes.

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    3. Re:I have a question... by tuxgeek · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Maybe we're over anal-izing the question. From my own observations as sort of an amateur hobbyist zoologist/ornithologist, birds have brains and memory retention, ie, they posses the ability to learn. Perhaps it's just a matter of older birds remember the way to go and the rest follow and learn the landmarks, to someday become the leader of the migration as well.

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  3. No need for a quantum sensor... by GrosTuba · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Dude, we know how birds navigate: they follow roads.

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