A Sixth Sense: Sharks and Electricity
Sharks exhibit an incredible sensitivity to their watery environment, including an extra sensory advantage: the ability to detect tiny electric signals. This "sixth sense" can help them locate meals, identify mates, and even, we believe, navigate the oceans. Hundreds of "electrosensors" sit embedded within a shark's head; in concert, they can discern changes as small as a billionth of a single volt. This talk brings together physics, chemistry, and biology to reveal how a creature can "see" the world electrically. Our speaker is Dr. Brandon Brown, Professor and Chair in the Physics Department at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Brown's Wonderfest presentation was recorded by Eric Yao on December 9, 2019, at HopMonk Tavern in Novato, California.
Biophysicist Adrianus Kalmijn Dies at 88
His work revealed that sharks use an electromagnetic sense to navigate and detect prey.
Adrianus Kalmijn: The Electric and Magnetic Sense of Sharks, SkaS, and Rays (1974)