Tag: sense
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The Sensation of Touch and Romance Between Friends
While so much energy and progress has been put into recreating believable audio and visual media, the field of haptics remains relatively nascent. Jeff and Anthony look at the cutting edge of recreating the sensation of touch in a variety of technologies, and how it might impact the future. Then, what if the meet cute is a lie? New research indicates that relationships may start much more often as friendships than the current data reflects. Anthony and Jeff discuss the sparks of love. [more]
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Magnet Eyes
Birds can sense Earth’s magnetic field, and this uncanny ability may help them fly home from unfamiliar places or navigate migrations that span tens of thousands of kilometers. Scientists have now pinpointed a possible protein behind this “sixth sense.” Jeff and Anthony consider the bird prankz possibilities. [more]
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Passing the Sniff Test
A dog searching for a lost child is typically given an item of clothing to smell. But what does that scent “look” like? To find out, scientists tested 48 dogs, half of which had special police or rescue training. Jeff and Anthony discuss whether or not this study stinks. [more]
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Smell Wishers
What are the ingredients of a good relationship? Trust? Communication? Compromise? How about a sense of smell? When researchers in the United Kingdom surveyed almost 500 people with anosmia (the loss of sense of smell), more than 50 percent of them reported feeling isolated, and blamed their relationship troubles on their affliction. Smell is important in social bonding, says psychologist Pamela Dalton, at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, in Philadelphia. When a mom smells her newborn baby, the scent activates brain regions associated with nurturing behavior. Smells might also trigger brain activity linked with affection, compassion, or romantic love. Jeff and Anthony give this story the sniff test. [more]
Do NOT join our secret society. You’ll just wind up with a bunch of cool stuff. It’s gross.