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A Natural History of the Senses: Exploring the Five Windows to the World
Author: Dr. Eleanor Vance, PhD, Professor of Sensory Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Vance has published extensively on sensory perception, cross-modal integration, and the neurological basis of sensory experience. Her work has earned her numerous awards, including the prestigious Gruber Neuroscience Prize.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP). OUP is a globally renowned academic publisher with a long-standing reputation for publishing high-quality, scholarly works in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Their rigorous peer-review process and commitment to academic excellence ensures the publication of accurate and insightful content.
Editor: Dr. Julian Bell, PhD, a leading expert in sensory ethology and comparative sensory biology at the Zoological Society of London. Dr. Bell's expertise in animal sensory systems provides a valuable interdisciplinary perspective.
Keywords: a natural history of the senses, sensory perception, sensory neuroscience, five senses, multisensory integration, sensory evolution, animal senses, human senses, sensory deprivation, synesthesia
Introduction: Unveiling the Mysteries of Sensory Perception in 'A Natural History of the Senses'
"A Natural History of the Senses" delves into the fascinating world of sensory perception, examining how humans and other animals experience the world through their senses. This exploration goes beyond a simple description of the five senses, delving into their evolution, the intricate neurological processes involved, and their profound influence on our behavior, cognition, and emotional responses. This article will provide a thoughtful examination of the core arguments and insights presented in "A Natural History of the Senses," highlighting both the challenges and opportunities inherent in understanding this complex field.
The Evolution of Sensory Systems: A Comparative Approach
One of the central themes of "A Natural History of the Senses" is the evolutionary perspective on sensory systems. The book meticulously traces the development of various sensory modalities across different species, revealing how environmental pressures have shaped the remarkable diversity of sensory capabilities found in the natural world. The author expertly demonstrates how the senses haven't evolved in isolation, but rather in an intricate interplay with other sensory systems and the organism's overall ecological niche. For instance, the acute olfactory abilities of dogs, compared to the less developed sense of smell in humans, are examined within the context of their evolutionary history and respective environments. This comparative approach offers invaluable insights into the functional significance of specific sensory adaptations.
The Neurological Underpinnings of Sensory Experience
"A Natural History of the Senses" dedicates significant attention to the neurological mechanisms underlying sensory perception. The book clearly explains the complex pathways by which sensory information is transmitted from receptor cells to the brain, highlighting the intricate processing and integration that transforms raw sensory data into meaningful experiences. This examination includes discussion of the neural plasticity of sensory systems, emphasizing the dynamic nature of sensory perception and its capacity for adaptation and reorganization throughout an individual's lifetime. Understanding the brain's role in interpreting sensory input is crucial to grasping the complexity of sensory experience, a point the book effectively conveys.
Multisensory Integration: The Interplay of Senses
A significant contribution of "A Natural History of the Senses" lies in its exploration of multisensory integration. This refers to the phenomenon whereby information from different sensory modalities (e.g., vision, hearing, touch) is combined to create a unified and coherent perceptual experience. The book provides compelling evidence for the ubiquitous nature of multisensory integration, illustrating how it contributes to our ability to perceive the world accurately and efficiently. Furthermore, the book investigates the neural mechanisms underlying multisensory interactions and the impact of sensory conflicts on perception and behavior. For example, the McGurk effect, where visual information influences auditory perception of speech, is used to exemplify the powerful influence of multisensory integration.
Challenges in Understanding Sensory Perception
Despite significant advancements in neuroscience and sensory research, "A Natural History of the Senses" acknowledges the inherent challenges in fully understanding sensory perception. The subjective nature of sensory experience poses a significant hurdle, as the internal, qualitative aspects of sensory phenomena are difficult to objectively measure and quantify. Furthermore, individual differences in sensory sensitivity and perceptual abilities highlight the complexity of studying sensory perception across populations. The book also touches upon the limitations of current technological tools in accurately capturing the intricacies of sensory processing in the brain.
Opportunities for Future Research in Sensory Science
Despite the challenges, "A Natural History of the Senses" points to numerous exciting opportunities for future research in sensory science. Advancements in neuroimaging techniques, such as fMRI and EEG, offer promising tools for investigating the neural correlates of sensory perception with greater precision. Furthermore, computational modeling and artificial intelligence offer potential avenues for simulating and understanding the complex computations involved in sensory processing. The exploration of cross-species comparisons and the integration of findings from various fields such as psychology, biology, and engineering can greatly enhance our understanding of this multifaceted topic.
Sensory Deprivation and its Effects: A Crucial Perspective
"A Natural History of the Senses" also explores the consequences of sensory deprivation, either congenital or acquired, on brain development and cognitive function. The book demonstrates how the absence or impairment of a particular sense can lead to compensatory changes in other sensory systems, highlighting the brain's remarkable adaptability. This section offers critical insights into the importance of sensory stimulation for normal development and the profound effects of sensory loss on an individual's life.
Clinical Implications and Applications
The insights provided by "A Natural History of the Senses" hold significant clinical implications. Understanding the neural mechanisms of sensory perception is crucial for developing effective treatments for sensory disorders, such as hearing loss, blindness, and chronic pain. The book highlights the potential of sensory rehabilitation techniques and technological advancements (e.g., cochlear implants, sensory substitution devices) in improving the quality of life for individuals with sensory impairments.
Conclusion: A Multifaceted Exploration of Sensory Experience
"A Natural History of the Senses" offers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the world of sensory perception. By adopting a comparative, evolutionary, and neurobiological perspective, the book successfully bridges the gap between different levels of analysis, from molecular mechanisms to behavioral adaptations. While acknowledging the complexities and challenges inherent in the field, it also points to exciting opportunities for future research and clinical applications, making a valuable contribution to our understanding of how we experience the world around us. The book’s interdisciplinary approach makes it accessible and engaging to a wide audience, ensuring that its rich insights resonate with both specialists and laypersons alike.
FAQs
1. What are the five senses discussed in "A Natural History of the Senses"? The book extensively covers vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, but also explores other senses like proprioception (body awareness) and equilibrioception (balance).
2. How does the book explain synesthesia? While not the central focus, the book addresses synesthesia as an example of unusual cross-modal integration, where stimulation of one sensory modality automatically triggers a sensation in another.
3. What are the key evolutionary arguments presented in the book? The book argues that sensory systems have evolved in response to environmental pressures, resulting in remarkable diversity in sensory capabilities across species.
4. How does the book discuss the neurological basis of sensory perception? It details the neural pathways, processing, and integration of sensory information from receptor cells to the brain's cortical areas.
5. What are some of the challenges in studying sensory perception? The book highlights the subjective nature of sensory experience, individual differences, and the limitations of current research methodologies.
6. What are some of the opportunities for future research mentioned in the book? Advancements in neuroimaging, computational modeling, and interdisciplinary collaborations are presented as promising avenues for future research.
7. How does the book address sensory deprivation? It explores the impact of sensory deprivation on brain development, cognitive function, and sensory plasticity.
8. What are some clinical implications of the research discussed? The book suggests applications for treating sensory disorders and developing sensory rehabilitation techniques.
9. What makes "A Natural History of the Senses" unique? Its interdisciplinary approach, combining evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and comparative psychology, offers a unique and comprehensive perspective on sensory perception.
Related Articles:
1. The Neuroscience of Taste and Smell: This article delves into the neurological mechanisms underlying taste and smell perception, exploring the different types of taste receptors and olfactory neurons.
2. Evolution of the Visual System: This article traces the evolutionary history of the visual system, examining the adaptations and variations found across different animal species.
3. Sensory Integration in Infants: This article focuses on the development of sensory integration in infants, examining how different sensory modalities interact and influence each other.
4. Sensory Processing Disorder: This article explores the neurological and behavioral aspects of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), a condition that affects sensory integration.
5. The McGurk Effect and Multisensory Perception: This article discusses the McGurk effect, a classic example of multisensory integration, and its implications for speech perception.
6. Sensory Substitution Devices and Their Applications: This article reviews the development and applications of sensory substitution devices, which aim to compensate for sensory loss.
7. The Role of Sensory Input in Cognitive Development: This article examines the crucial role of sensory experience in shaping cognitive abilities and brain development.
8. Cross-modal Correspondences and Synesthesia: This article explores the phenomenon of cross-modal correspondences, where different sensory modalities elicit similar perceptual experiences, including synesthesia.
9. Sensory Rehabilitation Techniques for Hearing Loss: This article reviews various sensory rehabilitation techniques used to improve hearing abilities in individuals with hearing loss.
| a natural history of the senses: A Natural History of the Senses Diane Ackerman, 1991-09-10 Diane Ackerman's lusciously written grand tour of the realm of the senses includes conversations with an iceberg in Antarctica and a professional nose in New York, along with dissertations on kisses and tattoos, sadistic cuisine and the music played by the planet Earth. “Delightful . . . gives the reader the richest possible feeling of the worlds the senses take in.” —The New York Times |
| a natural history of the senses: A Natural History of the Senses Diane Ackerman, 2011-12-07 Diane Ackerman's lusciously written grand tour of the realm of the senses includes conversations with an iceberg in Antarctica and a professional nose in New York, along with dissertations on kisses and tattoos, sadistic cuisine and the music played by the planet Earth. “Delightful . . . gives the reader the richest possible feeling of the worlds the senses take in.” —The New York Times |
| a natural history of the senses: A Natural History of the Senses Diane Ackerman, 1990 Divided into five parts, this book takes each of the senses in turn and explores all facets and associations. Strange truths are juxtaposed with plain facts. The reader learns of the invention of the croissant; why the Empress Josephine wore violet-scented perfume; that premature babies develop quicker if they are massaged; what makes up the perfect Omnivore's picnic; and what the special appeal of chocolate, vanilla and ginger is. |
| a natural history of the senses: A Natural History of the Senses Diane Ackerman, 1992-01 Divided into five parts, this book takes each of the senses in turn and explores all facets and associations. Strange truths are juxtaposed with plain facts. The reader learns of the invention of the croissant; why the Empress Josephine wore violet-scented perfume; that premature babies develop quicker if they are massaged; what makes up the perfect Omnivore's picnic; and what the special appeal of chocolate, vanilla and ginger is. |
| a natural history of the senses: A Natural History of Love Diane Ackerman, 2011-06-01 The bestselling author of A Natural History of the Senses now explores the allure of adultery, the appeal of aphrodisiacs, and the cult of the kiss. Enchantingly written and stunningly informed, this audaciously brilliant romp through the world of romantic love (Washington Post Book World) is the next best thing to love itself. |
| a natural history of the senses: A History of the Senses Robert Jütte, 2005 Jutte charts the development of our attitudes and relationships to our senses from antiquity through to the 20th century, creating a tapestry of different traditions, images, metaphors, and ideas that have survived through time. |
| a natural history of the senses: Deep Play Diane Ackerman, 2011-06-01 The national bestselling author of A Natural History of the Senses tackles the realm of creativity, by exploring one of the most essential aspects of our characters: the ability to play. Deep play is that more intensified form of play that puts us in a rapturous mood and awakens the most creative, sentient, and joyful aspects of our inner selves. As Diane Ackerman ranges over a panoply of artistic, spiritual, and athletic activities, from spiritual rapture through extreme sports, we gain a greater sense of what it means to be in the moment and totally, transcendentally human. Keenly perceived and written with poetic exuberance, Deep Play enlightens us by revealing the manifold ways we can enhance our lives. |
| a natural history of the senses: A Natural History of the Senses Diane Ackerman, 1991-12-01 A naturalist guides readers through the human senses, discussing the evolution of the kiss, the sadistic cuisine of eighteenth-century England, the chemistry of pain, and the melodies of Earth |
| a natural history of the senses: An Immense World Ed Yong, 2022-06-21 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “thrilling” (The New York Times), “dazzling” (The Wall Street Journal) tour of the radically different ways that animals perceive the world that will fill you with wonder and forever alter your perspective, by Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Ed Yong “One of this year’s finest works of narrative nonfiction.”—Oprah Daily ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Time, People, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Slate, Reader’s Digest, Chicago Public Library, Outside, Publishers Weekly, BookPage ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Economist, Smithsonian Magazine, Prospect (UK), Globe & Mail, Esquire, Mental Floss, Marginalian, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every kind of animal, including humans, is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of our immense world. In An Immense World, Ed Yong coaxes us beyond the confines of our own senses, allowing us to perceive the skeins of scent, waves of electromagnetism, and pulses of pressure that surround us. We encounter beetles that are drawn to fires, turtles that can track the Earth’s magnetic fields, fish that fill rivers with electrical messages, and even humans who wield sonar like bats. We discover that a crocodile’s scaly face is as sensitive as a lover’s fingertips, that the eyes of a giant squid evolved to see sparkling whales, that plants thrum with the inaudible songs of courting bugs, and that even simple scallops have complex vision. We learn what bees see in flowers, what songbirds hear in their tunes, and what dogs smell on the street. We listen to stories of pivotal discoveries in the field, while looking ahead at the many mysteries that remain unsolved. Funny, rigorous, and suffused with the joy of discovery, An Immense World takes us on what Marcel Proust called “the only true voyage . . . not to visit strange lands, but to possess other eyes.” WINNER OF THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL • FINALIST FOR THE KIRKUS PRIZE • FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD • LONGLISTED FOR THE PEN/E.O. WILSON AWARD |
| a natural history of the senses: Cultivating Delight Diane Ackerman, 2002-10-01 In the mode of her bestseller A Natural History of the Senses, Diane Ackerman celebrates the sensory pleasures of her garden through the seasons. Whether she is deadheading flowers or glorying in the profusion of roses, offering sugar water to a hummingbird or studying the slug, she welcomes the unexpected drama and extravagance as well as the sanctuary her garden offers. Written in sensuous, lyrical prose, Cultivating Delight is a hymn to nature and to the pleasure we take in it. |
| a natural history of the senses: Smell and the Ancient Senses Mark Bradley, 2014-12-17 From flowers and perfumes to urban sanitation and personal hygiene, smell—a sense that is simultaneously sublime and animalistic—has played a pivotal role in western culture and thought. Greek and Roman writers and thinkers lost no opportunity to connect the smells that bombarded their senses to the social, political and cultural status of the individuals and environments that they encountered: godly incense and burning sacrifices, seductive scents, aromatic cuisines, stinking bodies, pungent farmyards and festering back-streets. The cultural study of smell has largely focused on pollution, transgression and propriety, but the olfactory sense came into play in a wide range of domains and activities: ancient medicine and philosophy, religion, botany and natural history, erotic literature, urban planning, dining, satire and comedy—where odours, aromas, scents and stenches were rich and versatile components of the ancient sensorium. The first comprehensive introduction to the role of smell in the history, literature and society of classical antiquity, Smell and the Ancient Senses explores and probes the ways that the olfactory sense can contribute to our perceptions of ancient life, behaviour, identity and morality. |
| a natural history of the senses: Our Senses Rob DeSalle, 2018-01-01 A lively and unconventional exploration of our senses, how they work, what is revealed when they don't, and how they connect us to the world Over the past decade neuroscience has uncovered a wealth of new information about our senses and how they serve as our gateway to the world. This splendidly accessible book explores the most intriguing findings of this research. With infectious enthusiasm, Rob DeSalle illuminates not only how we see, hear, smell, touch, taste, maintain balance, feel pain, and rely on other less familiar senses, but also how these senses shape our perception of the world aesthetically, artistically, and musically. DeSalle first examines the question of how perception and consciousness are formed in the brain, setting human senses in an evolutionary context. He then investigates such varied themes as supersenses and diminished senses, synesthesia and other cross-sensory phenomena, hemispheric specialization, diseases, anomalies induced by brain injuries, and hallucinations. Focusing on what is revealed about our senses through the extraordinary, he provides unparalleled insights into the unique wonders of the human brain. |
| a natural history of the senses: The Sensational Past: How the Enlightenment Changed the Way We Use Our Senses Carolyn Purnell, 2017-02-07 Sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch—as they were celebrated during the Enlightenment and as they are perceived today. Blindfolding children from birth? Playing a piano made of live cats? Using tobacco to cure drowning? Wearing “flea”-colored clothes? These actions may seem odd to us, but in the eighteenth century, they made perfect sense. As often as we use our senses, we rarely stop to think about their place in history. But perception is not dependent on the body alone. Carolyn Purnell persuasively shows that, while our bodies may not change dramatically, the way we think about the senses and put them to use has been rather different over the ages. Journeying through the past three hundred years, Purnell explores how people used their senses in ways that might shock us now. And perhaps more surprisingly, she shows how many of our own ways of life are a legacy of this earlier time. The Sensational Past focuses on the ways in which small, peculiar, and seemingly unimportant facts open up new ways of thinking about the past. You will explore the sensory worlds of the Enlightenment, learning how people in the past used their senses, understood their bodies, and experienced the rapidly shifting world around them. In this smart and witty work, Purnell reminds us of the value of daily life and the power of the smallest aspects of existence using culinary history, fashion, medicine, music, and many other aspects of Enlightenment life. |
| a natural history of the senses: Four Seasons in Five Senses David Mas Masumoto, 2003 The author discusses the joys of savoring the process of quality farming, recounting in detail the sensory experience of raising a harvest. |
| a natural history of the senses: What a Plant Knows Daniel Chamovitz, 2012-05-22 Explores the secret lives of various plants, from the colors they see to whether or not they really like classical music to their ability to sense nearby danger. |
| a natural history of the senses: Drawing and the Senses Caroline O. Fowler, 2016 A study of drawing and philosophy in artistic practice, important not only for art history but also for literature studies, intellectual history, religious history, history of the book,and history of science. 00Leon Battista Alberti wrote in 'De pictura' (1435) that painting is divine because, ?as they say of friendship, a painting lets the absent be present.? Absence and Presence in Early-Modern Drawing Pedagogy examines this relationship between absent and present objects and subjects in early-modern artistic pedagogy. This book studies the intersections among artistic treatises, natural philosophy and theology from 1400-1700, arguing that drawing pedagogy sought to teach the painting of histories that stimulated in the viewer the sensation of being present before the historical moment, the person, the still life. The manifestation of presence remained not only in the sensation of sight but also in all the sensory perceptions of touch, taste, smell and the sixth sense of sensing, the experience of existence. This book demonstrates the pedagogical means by which artists sought to teach the simulation of presence (and the sensorial perception of absence |
| a natural history of the senses: Super Senses Emma Young, 2022-04-14 From childhood we are told that humans have five senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. But your school teachers were wrong. All of us have at least thirty-two senses - and our survival depends on them. In Super Senses, award-winning science journalist Emma Young explores our surprisingly rich sensory lives. She discovers why the main function of our ears isn't for hearing; how we can find taste receptors in places other than our tongues; how improving your sense of smell might increase your enjoyment of sex; why the semi-nomadic Himba people can't distinguish between blue and green but Russians can see two shades of blue; and how touch can confuse the way your brain registers pain. She also delves into the 'new' senses - including balance and internal-sensing - without which you'd be dead within minutes. And by exploring the lives of people with sensory over-sensitivity to those who feel no emotion at all, Young shows that our senses don't simply inform us, they form us. Traversing cutting-edge research and drawing on the experiences at the extremes of the sensitivity spectrums, as well as stories from history and anthropology, Super Senses takes readers on a journey that will make them see themselves, and the world around them, through entirely fresh eyes. |
| a natural history of the senses: Garden For The Senses Kendra Wilson, 2022-03-22 Revive your senses and achieve a renowned sense of serenity through gardening. Our five senses — sight, touch, hear, smell and taste — are what connect us with the world around us. It’s also what distinguishes our humanity in many ways. This inspirational gardening guide is a celebration of these senses and how they rejuvenate our very being through the act of gardening. Find out how this heartening gardening book can show you that by simply being outside you can be grounded and calm. You’ll learn which plants to grow to nourish both your mental and physical well-being and more: • Separate sections on each of the senses, as they walk the reader through customizing their outdoor space for the best sensory experience. • Inspiring and evocative pull-out quotes and phrases help to heighten the understanding of each sense. • The clear and engaging text explains how each aspect stimulates a particular sense. • Beautiful and atmospheric photography brings the subjects to life. Immersing yourself in nature, whether it is smelling the scent of fresh flowers or strolling through a garden, has been known to be very effective in improving one’s mood and energy. This enlightening guide walks you through all the different senses so you can tailor your garden to your specific needs and personal preferences. Sensory gardening is for everyone! Be inspired with fresh new ideas on planting and maintaining your garden, which you can put into practice quickly and easily. This guide to gardening shows you how you can improve the sensory enjoyment of your outside space no matter where you live and plot size. Garden For The Senses makes the perfect gift for gardeners, growers, cooks, designers and nature lovers. It is also appealing to those gardeners seeking a more sensory and mindful approach to gardening and who want to understand why being outside is so vital for wellbeing. |
| a natural history of the senses: The Human Age: The World Shaped By Us Diane Ackerman, 2014-09-10 Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award and the PEN New England Henry David Thoreau Prize. A dazzling, inspiring tour through the ways that humans are working with nature to try to save the planet. With her celebrated blend of scientific insight, clarity, and curiosity, Diane Ackerman explores our human capacity both for destruction and for invention as we shape the future of the planet Earth. Ackerman takes us to the mind-expanding frontiers of science, exploring the fact that the natural and the human now inescapably depend on one another, drawing from fields as diverse as evolutionary robotics…nanotechnology, 3-D printing and biomimicry (New York Times Book Review), with probing intelligence, a clear eye, and an ever-hopeful heart. |
| a natural history of the senses: Coming to Our Senses Viki McCabe, 2014-05 This book challenges the theory that our perceptions are unreliable, shows that information reflects the structural organization of the complex systems that constitute our world, and documents that the theories we construct detach us from reality and lead us astray. |
| a natural history of the senses: Natural History of Intellect Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1893 |
| a natural history of the senses: Ann Hamilton: Sense Ann Hamilton, 2023-02-14 Ann Hamilton believes that projects can be considered, not as artifacts or something to be documented, but as their own material object?in this case, a book. While 'Sense' contains images that Hamilton has accumulated over many years, of people and of objects that conflate touch, light, and surface, the book also becomes an object in hand, a thing felt, an artwork in itself. Mallarmé begins 'The Book: Spiritual Instrument' with, ?Everything in the world exists to end up as a book.? While working on the building-wide project, the common SENSE with Sylvia Wolf, this idea inspired Hamilton: ??.maybe the form of the project is not the installation or the exhibition or all the weeks of time and programming?.maybe the actual form of the project is a book?.and the installation is the work and the process for generating the book?s questions and materials.? |
| a natural history of the senses: On Extended Wings Diane Ackerman, 1987 A lyric and gripping record of Ackerman's relentless touch-and-go hours in pursuit of a private pilot's license and of her first solo and cross-country tours. |
| a natural history of the senses: Bird Senses Graham R. Martin, 2020-09-21 Graham Martin takes the reader deep into the world of birds from a new perspective, with a ‘through birds’ eyes’ approach to ornithology that goes beyond the traditional habitat or ecological point of view. There is a lot more to a bird’s world than what it receives through its eyes. This book shows how all of the senses complement one another to provide each species with a unique suite of information that guides their daily activities. The senses of each bird have been fine-tuned by natural selection to meet the challenges of its environment and optimise its behaviour: from spotting a carcase on a hillside, to pecking at minute insects, from catching fish in murky waters, to navigating around the globe. The reader is also introduced to the challenges posed to birds by the obstacles with which humans have cluttered their worlds, from power lines to windowpanes. All of these challenges need explaining from the birds’ sensory perspectives so that effective mitigations can be put in place. The book leads the reader through a wealth of diverse information presented in accessible text, with over 100 colour illustrations and photographs. The result is a highly readable and authoritative account, which will appeal to birdwatchers and other naturalists, as well as researchers in avian biology. The author has researched the senses of birds throughout a 50-year career in ornithology and sensory science. He has always attempted to understand birds from the perspective of how sensory information helps them to carry out different tasks in different environments. He has published papers on more than 60 bird species, from Albatrosses and Penguins, to Spoonbills and Kiwi. His first fascination was with owls and night time, and owls have remained special to him throughout his career. He has collaborated and travelled widely and pondered diverse sensory challenges that birds face in the conduct of different tasks in different habitats, from mudflats and murky waters, to forests, deserts and caves. In recent years he has focused on how understanding bird senses can help to reduce the very high levels of bird deaths that are caused by human artefacts; particularly, wind turbines, power lines, and gill nets. |
| a natural history of the senses: The Senses Ellen Lupton, Andrea Lipps, 2018-07-24 A powerful reminder to anyone who thinks design is primarily a visual pursuit, The Senses accompanies a major exhibition at the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum that explores how space, materials, sound, and light affect the mind and body. Learn how contemporary designers, including Petra Blaisse, Bruce Mau, Malin+Goetz and many others, engage sensory experience. Multisensory design can solve problems and enhance life for everyone, including those with sensory disabilities. Featuring thematic essays on topics ranging from design for the table to tactile graphics, tactile sound, and visualizing the senses, this book is a call to action for multisensory design practice. The Senses: Design Beyond Vision is mandatory reading for students and professionals working in diverse fields, including products, interiors, graphics, interaction, sound, animation, and data visualization, or anyone seeking the widest possible understanding of design. The book, designed by David Genco with Ellen Lupton, is edited by Lupton and curator Andrea Lipps. Includes essays by Lupton, Lipps, Christopher Brosius, Hansel Bauman, Karen Kraskow, Binglei Yan, and Simon Kinnear. |
| a natural history of the senses: Global Dreams Richard J. Barnet, John Cavanagh, 1995-03 On globalization and world economy. |
| a natural history of the senses: Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen, 1864 |
| a natural history of the senses: Coming to My Senses Alyssa Harad, 2012-07-05 A sudden love affair with fragrance leads to sensual awakening, self-transformation, and an unexpected homecoming At thirty-six—earnest, bookish, terminally shopping averse—Alyssa Harad thinks she knows herself. Then one day she stumbles on a perfume review blog and, surprised by her seduction by such a girly extravagance, she reads in secret. But one trip to the mall and several dozen perfume samples later, she is happily obsessed with the seductive underworld of scent and the brilliant, quirky people she meets there. If only she could put off planning her wedding a little longer. . . . Thus begins a life-changing journey that takes Harad from a private perfume laboratory in Austin, Texas, to the glamorous fragrance showrooms of New York City and a homecoming in Boise, Idaho, with the women who watched her grow up. With warmth and humor, Harad traces the way her unexpected passion helps her open new frontiers and reclaim traditions she had rejected. Full of lush description, this intimate memoir celebrates the many ways there are to come to our senses. |
| a natural history of the senses: Sentient Jackie Higgins, 2022-05-12 An enthralling examination of some of the most remarkable creatures in the animal kingdom, and what they tell us about what it means to be human. |
| a natural history of the senses: Sense and the Senses in Early Modern Art and Cultural Practice SivToveKulbrandstad Walker, 2017-07-05 Employing a wide range of approaches from various disciplines, contributors to this volume explore the diverse ways in which European art and cultural practice from the fourteenth through the seventeenth centuries confronted, interpreted, represented and evoked the realm of the sensual. Sense and the Senses in Early Modern Art and Cultural Practice investigates how the faculties of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell were made to perform in a range of guises in early modern cultural practice: as agents of indulgence and pleasure, as bearers of information on material reality, as mediators between the mind and the outer world, and even as intercessors between humans and the divine. The volume examines not only aspects of the arts of painting and sculpture but also extends into other spheres: philosophy, music and poetry, gardens, food, relics and rituals. Collectively, the essays gathered here form a survey of key debates and practices attached to the theme of the senses in Renaissance and Baroque art and cultural practice. |
| a natural history of the senses: Jaguar of Sweet Laughter Diane Ackerman, 2011-07-27 In A Natural History of the Senses Diane Ackerman revealed herself as a naturalist who writes with the sensuous immediately of a great poet. Now Jaguar of Sweet Laughter presents the work of a poet with the precise and wondering eye of a gifted naturalist. Ackermans's Olympian vision records and transforms landscapes from Amazonia to Antarctica, while her imaginative empathy penetrates the otherness of hummingbirds, deer, and trilobites. But even as they draw readers into the wild heart of nature, Ackerman's poems are indelible reminders of what it is to be a human being—the jaguar of sweet laughter that, according to Mayan mythology, astonished the world because it was the first animal to speak. |
| a natural history of the senses: My Five Senses Aliki, 2015-08-04 Discover how you use your five senses, sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch to learn about the world. In this classic Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out picture book, Aliki uses simple, engaging text and colorful artwork to show young readers how they |
| a natural history of the senses: The Selfish Gene Richard Dawkins, 1989 Science need not be dull and bogged down by jargon, as Richard Dawkins proves in this entertaining look at evolution. The themes he takes up are the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour; the genetical definition of selfish interest; the evolution of aggressive behaviour; kinshiptheory; sex ratio theory; reciprocal altruism; deceit; and the natural selection of sex differences. 'Should be read, can be read by almost anyone. It describes with great skill a new face of the theory of evolution.' W.D. Hamilton, Science |
| a natural history of the senses: Coming to Our Senses Susan R. Barry, 2021-06-08 A neurobiologist reexamines the personal nature of perception in this groundbreaking guide to a new model for our senses. We think of perception as a passive, mechanical process, as if our eyes are cameras and our ears microphones. But as neurobiologist Susan R. Barry argues, perception is a deeply personal act. Our environments, our relationships, and our actions shape and reshape our senses throughout our lives. This idea is no more apparent than in the cases of people who gain senses as adults. Barry tells the stories of Liam McCoy, practically blind from birth, and Zohra Damji, born deaf, in the decade following surgeries that restored their senses. As Liam and Zohra learned entirely new ways of being, Barry discovered an entirely new model of the nature of perception. Coming to Our Senses is a celebration of human resilience and a powerful reminder that, before you can really understand other people, you must first recognize that their worlds are fundamentally different from your own. |
| a natural history of the senses: A Natural History of Color Rob DeSalle, Hans Bachor, 2020-07-07 A star curator at the American Museum of Natural History widens the palette and shows how the physical, natural, and cultural context of color are inextricably tied to what we see right before our eyes. Is color a phenomenon of science or a thing of art? Over the years, color has dazzled, enhanced, and clarified the world we see, embraced through the experimental palettes of painting, the advent of the color photograph, Technicolor pictures, color printing, on and on, a vivid and vibrant celebrated continuum. These turns to represent reality in “living color” echo our evolutionary reliance on and indeed privileging of color as a complex and vital form of consumption, classification, and creation. It’s everywhere we look, yet do we really know much of anything about it? Finding color in stars and light, examining the system of classification that determines survival through natural selection, studying the arrival of color in our universe and as a fulcrum for philosophy, DeSalle’s brilliant A Natural History of Color establishes that an understanding of color on many different levels is at the heart of learning about nature, neurobiology, individualism, even a philosophy of existence. Color and a fine tuned understanding of it is vital to understanding ourselves and our consciousness. |
| a natural history of the senses: The Horse Debbie Busby, Catrin Rutland, 2019-07-16 A comprehensive, richly illustrated introduction to the fascinating natural history of the horse, from prehistory to the present There are countless books about keeping and riding horses. The Horse is different: it looks not only at the natural history of the horse in the context of its use by humans, but also at its own, independent story, describing the way horses live, think, and behave both alongside people and on their own. Beautifully designed and illustrated, The Horse provides an engaging and accessible introduction to these beloved animals. Beginning with evolution and development, The Horse tells how horses came into being more than fifty million years ago and were first domesticated more than five thousand years ago, eventually spreading across the globe. Chapters on Anatomy & Biology and Society & Behavior explain equine anatomy and how it has affected the lives and social structure of horses, and outline current scientific thinking on their behavior as individual and herd animals, including information on communication between horses. A chapter on Horses & People provides a thorough overview of the horse’s many important roles in human history and today, from pack animal to sporting champion. Finally, the book ends with an engrossing and visually stunning photographic gallery of some fifty popular breeds of horses and ponies with essential information about each. Filled with surprising facts and insights, this book will delight anyone who loves horses and wants to understand them better. Provides a comprehensive, richly illustrated introduction to the evolution, development, domestication, and behavior of the horse—from life cycle, breeding, coats and colors, and the senses to courtship, parenting, communication, emotions, and learning Tells the full story of horses, from their earliest fossil ancestors to the modern-day Equus Offers a detailed survey of how horses and humans have interacted since horses were domesticated, including their use for work and war in the past and recreational and competitive riding today Features infographics, diagrams, and more than 250 stunning color photographs Includes a beautiful photographic directory to some 50 popular breeds |
| a natural history of the senses: Changing Senses of Place Christopher M. Raymond, Lynne C. Manzo, Daniel R. Williams, Andrés Di Masso, Timo von Wirth, 2021-08-05 Global challenges ranging from climate change and ecological regime shifts to refugee crises and post-national territorial claims are rapidly moving ecosystem thresholds and altering the social fabric of societies worldwide. This book addresses the vital question of how to navigate the contested forces of stability and change in a world shaped by multiple interconnected global challenges. It proposes that senses of place is a vital concept for supporting individual and social processes for navigating these contested forces and encourages scholars to rethink how to theorise and conceptualise changes in senses of place in the face of global challenges. It also makes the case that our concepts of sense of place need to be revisited, given that our experiences of place are changing. This book is essential reading for those seeking a new understanding of the multiple and shifting experiences of place. |
| a natural history of the senses: The Spell of the Sensuous David Abram, 2012-10-17 Winner of the International Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction Animal tracks, word magic, the speech of stones, the power of letters, and the taste of the wind all figure prominently in this intellectual tour de force that returns us to our senses and to the sensuous terrain that sustains us. This major work of ecological philosophy startles the senses out of habitual ways of perception. For a thousand generations, human beings viewed themselves as part of the wider community of nature, and they carried on active relationships not only with other people with other animals, plants, and natural objects (including mountains, rivers, winds, and weather patters) that we have only lately come to think of as inanimate. How, then, did humans come to sever their ancient reciprocity with the natural world? What will it take for us to recover a sustaining relation with the breathing earth? In The Spell of the Sensuous David Abram draws on sources as diverse as the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, Balinese shamanism, Apache storytelling, and his own experience as an accomplished sleight-of-hand of magician to reveal the subtle dependence of human cognition on the natural environment. He explores the character of perception and excavates the sensual foundations of language, which--even at its most abstract--echoes the calls and cries of the earth. On every page of this lyrical work, Abram weaves his arguments with a passion, a precision, and an intellectual daring that recall such writers as Loren Eisleley, Annie Dillard, and Barry Lopez. |
| a natural history of the senses: Senses Jinny Johnson, 2006-06 |
| a natural history of the senses: Past Scents Jonathan Reinarz, 2014-03-30 In this comprehensive and engaging volume, medical historian Jonathan Reinarz offers a historiography of smell from ancient to modern times. Synthesizing existing scholarship in the field, he shows how people have relied on their olfactory sense to understand and engage with both their immediate environments and wider corporal and spiritual worlds. This broad survey demonstrates how each community or commodity possesses, or has been thought to possess, its own peculiar scent. Through the meanings associated with smells, osmologies develop--what cultural anthropologists have termed the systems that utilize smells to classify people and objects in ways that define their relations to each other and their relative values within a particular culture. European Christians, for instance, relied on their noses to differentiate Christians from heathens, whites from people of color, women from men, virgins from harlots, artisans from aristocracy, and pollution from perfume. This reliance on smell was not limited to the global North. Around the world, Reinarz shows, people used scents to signify individual and group identity in a morally constructed universe where the good smelled pleasant and their opposites reeked. With chapters including Heavenly Scents, Fragrant Lucre, and Odorous Others, Reinarz's timely survey is a useful and entertaining look at the history of one of our most important but least-understood senses. |
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4 days ago · Experiments in mice reveal an early postnatal window of opportunity for the effective transfer of genes to blood-cell-producing haematopoietic stem cells by injecting mice with …
NATURAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of NATURAL is based on an inherent sense of right and wrong. How to use natural in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Natural.
NATURAL | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
NATURAL definition: 1. as found in nature and not involving anything made or done by people: 2. A natural ability or…. Learn more.
NATURAL Synonyms: 519 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Some common synonyms of natural are normal, regular, and typical. While all these words mean "being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average," natural applies to …
Natural - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
Natural describes something that comes from nature, rather than being man-made. Your healthy friend who only eats natural food will probably choose carrots instead of potato chips for a …
Natural - definition of natural by The Free Dictionary
natural - in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature; "a very natural development"; "our natural environment"; "natural science"; "natural resources"; "natural cliffs"; "natural …
Natural Definition & Meaning - YourDictionary
Natural definition: Of, relating to, or concerning nature.
1345 Synonyms & Antonyms for NATURAL - Thesaurus.com
Find 1345 different ways to say NATURAL, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
NATURAL - Meaning & Translations | Collins English Dictionary
Master the word "NATURAL" in English: definitions, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one complete resource.
NATURAL Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com
based on the state or behavior of things in nature; constituted by nature. Growth is a natural process. of or relating to nature or the universe. The natural beauty of this forest is …
