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Human eye protein senses Earth's magnetism
BBC ^ | June 21, 2011 | Unknown

Posted on 06/21/2011 11:51:14 AM PDT by decimon


Fruit fly scanning electron micrograph

A light-sensitive protein in the human eye has been shown to act as a "compass" in a magnetic field, when it is present in flies' eyes.

The study in Nature Communications showed that without their natural "magnetoreception" protein, the flies did not respond to a magnetic field - but replacing the protein with the human version restored the ability.

Despite much controversy, no conclusive evidence exists that humans can sense the Earth's magnetic field, and the find may revive interest in the idea.

Although humans, like migratory birds, are known to have cryptochrome in their eyes, the idea of human magnetoreception has remained largely unexplored since pioneering experiments by Robin Baker of the University of Manchester in the 1980s.

Dr Baker used a long series of experiments on thousands of volunteers that suggested humans could indirectly sense magnetic fields, though he never definitively identified the mechanism. In subsequent years, several groups attempted to repeat those experiments, claiming opposing results.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs
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To: DBrow

Aye, a field good story, indeed. Love the way thosee pole dances flux...


21 posted on 06/21/2011 1:23:50 PM PDT by Voter62vb
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To: DBrow
"Plus the MRI field does not vary (there is too much energy stored in the field to “wiggle” it)." An MRI machine transmits radio waves into the patient's body, the hydrogen nuclei absorb the radio waves and flip the direction of their spin. The nuclei then flip their spin back to the original direction and emit radio waves back. The MRI machine receives these radio waves. It is "varied" (in affect) by how the "nonuniform" magnetic field affects the hydrogen nuclei in different portions of the patient's body, at different magnetic field strengths, emitting different frequency radio waves. In this way the nonuniform magnetic field allows the MRI machine to image slices of different portions of the patient's body. http://www.suite101.com/content/how-magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri-works-a157839 Good luck with your studies on this topic. Your idea looks interesting.
22 posted on 06/21/2011 1:40:51 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Wuli

If you ever use a large, 3T superconducting magnet, you’ll find that you cannot readily change the field strengths.

An MRI has one huge magnet that is never off and does not change. The “varying mag field” is mechanized by the RF field and is quite small compared to the main magnet. It just needs to be big enough to cause the H atoms to precess at their characteristic frequency. Sort of like plucking a string.

There is considerable energy stored in the mag field itself, and if you want a stronger field, you must “pump it up” fairly slowly as you add energy. Reducing the field means you have to let the field energy go somewhere.

Besides the energy stored in the field, reducing the coil currents can cause the collapsing field to warm up the whole magnet to where it’s not superconducting any more.

When you get in an MRI, you are in a strong DC field that is not changing. It’s only when they start imaging that you get pulses of RF energy, and it’s the inefficiency of the scan coils that make all the noise.


23 posted on 06/21/2011 1:51:52 PM PDT by DBrow
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To: DBrow

“and I’ll need to figure a way to quantify disorientation”

I imagine that will be difficult, as most all you have are the patient’s very subjective view of their own disorientation and discomfort, which might originate with a physical affect but is immediately thereafter joined by what the patient “thinks” about it, resulting in their “feeling” discomfort or disorientation.

It would be more direct (but maybe more difficult) to find, by trial and error maybe, the neurological path this protein might stimulate, in the brain, and once identified then patients connected to certain “brain scan” imaging systems could be tested, by varying “stimuli” to see if that neurological pathway was stimulated or not, and how much it was stimulated.

That pathway might be identified by using - under very strict guidelines of patients consent - injections of larger than normal doses of the “magnetic receptor” chemical, into an appropriate part of either the eye or the optic nerve? Just guessing.


24 posted on 06/21/2011 1:57:16 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Wuli

here is a page of MRI magnet disasters. If they could turn the magnet down, or off, easily, these would not happen.

http://www.simplyphysics.com/flying_objects.html

And here is a strong mag field (two solenoids). In the demo, they cut power to the solenoids, the field collapses rapidly. The energy that was in the field must go somewhere, and it creates a large voltage that causes a bright arc and loud bang. The bigger the field, the more careful you have to be about back EMF, or, there is a limit to how fast you can change the field.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSmMFog10D0

I’ve used bending magnets at Brookhaven that you had to ramp up and down slowly.


25 posted on 06/21/2011 2:04:16 PM PDT by DBrow
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To: Wuli

here is a page of MRI magnet disasters. If they could turn the magnet down, or off, easily, these would not happen.

http://www.simplyphysics.com/flying_objects.html

And here is a strong mag field (two solenoids). In the demo, they cut power to the solenoids, the field collapses rapidly. The energy that was in the field must go somewhere, and it creates a large voltage that causes a bright arc and loud bang. The bigger the field, the more careful you have to be about back EMF, or, there is a limit to how fast you can change the field.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSmMFog10D0

I’ve used bending magnets at Brookhaven that you had to ramp up and down slowly.


26 posted on 06/21/2011 2:05:25 PM PDT by DBrow
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To: Wuli

I’d have to use a chemical-specific PET scan- an MRI wouldn’t work! lol


27 posted on 06/21/2011 2:06:33 PM PDT by DBrow
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To: Bigg Red

No.

Those who I have known in my life with what seems a natural sense of north-south-east-west direction have included females and males (and I myself am male). Conversely I have known both men and women with a truly lousy sense of direction.


28 posted on 06/21/2011 2:07:08 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: decimon; Red Badger; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach ·
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Thanks decimon.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
 

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29 posted on 06/21/2011 7:27:22 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Thanks Cincinna for this link -- http://www.friendsofitamar.org)
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To: muawiyah
No doubt this is the mechanism that triggers that “I’m aimed the wrong way” feeling when you climb into the wrong bed.

John Edwards and Arnold Schwarzenegger must be deficient that protein.

30 posted on 06/21/2011 7:41:14 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan (My tagline is in the shop.)
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To: Bigg Red

Anecdote, not data:

I am also female and directionally impaired. My husband can orient himself almost automatically, and if he has been somewhere once, he can get there, again, from anywhere.

I do have a female friend with a good sense of direction, but she is also adept at reading maps.


31 posted on 06/21/2011 7:48:04 PM PDT by reformedliberal
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To: SunkenCiv; decimon

THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING! Ever sense I got that glass I, eye here and there find myself wandering in an aimless circle.


32 posted on 06/21/2011 8:22:42 PM PDT by bigheadfred ( He put... creatures... in our bodies... to control our minds.)
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To: decimon

I think this explains why drunks always seem to be able to find their way home.


33 posted on 06/21/2011 8:35:19 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: Wuli

I usually have a good sense of direction.

I also usually map out the building I am in, in my head. I will stop and retrace myself until I understand the building.


34 posted on 06/21/2011 8:48:05 PM PDT by Chickensoup (The right to bear arms is proved to prevent government genocide. Protect yourself!)
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To: DBrow

Back in the world of wind up watches and quarts watches, my mother’s biochemistry used to stop watches cold within a few months. She went through tons of them and they would never work after she wore them for a while.


35 posted on 06/21/2011 8:50:28 PM PDT by Chickensoup (The right to bear arms is proved to prevent government genocide. Protect yourself!)
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To: shibumi

Ha-HA!


36 posted on 06/21/2011 9:56:32 PM PDT by Salamander (I wear my sunglasses at night.)
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To: Wuli; Bigg Red; DBrow; SunkenCiv; All

I think there are a number of residual senses some of us have that are not yet identified and studied well. Our modern noisy, overstimulated way of life probably deadens a fair amount of such potential abilities. A friend of mine had a Finish mother. They were living in northern Minnesota with no telephone. She seemed to know when a visitor would drop by; and when he went to sea for long periods, she always showed up at the railway station when he finally arrived home without any communication.

On several occasions, when I was shocked by seeing or hearing something, my husband or toddler son sensed what I had seen or heard without my saying anything about it. Later I read the book Psychic Phenomenon in the Soviet Union, and realized that I had the characteristics of what was called a “sender.”

Regarding the possibility that men seem to be better at retaining a sense of physical orientation even though blindfolded, this makes sense. For several million years men probably wandered much further afield hunting moving game. Females probably stayed in one place, or with the group and did not need to have this ability. On the other hand they more often gathered fruit, roots, and nuts in season which requires remembering were static objects are. This probably explains why women can usually find what their husbands are frantically looking for. ;-)


37 posted on 06/22/2011 2:19:29 AM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: decimon
I wonder if this phenomenon may have a connection to what some old timers call water dowsing?
38 posted on 06/22/2011 2:50:20 AM PDT by Bellflower (Isa 32:5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said [to be] bountiful.))
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To: reformedliberal

My husband amazes me his sense of direction. He, too, can find a place he has been to only once. He is always surprised that I do not know the way to a place I have visited several times.

When I park my car at a mall or go into a strange building, I must stop and look around to remember the way back.

Map? What’s a map? Maps are very confusing to me; it’s too much too look at, I can’t focus, and I have to turn the map to orient it to the direction I am traveling. I compare it to looking at a page written in German. I see something here and there that looks familiar, but, for the most part, I do not understand. Oh, how I love my navigation system in my car! I used to get lost quite frequently.

I know only 3 women who are good with maps and direction.


39 posted on 06/22/2011 4:27:08 AM PDT by Bigg Red (Palin in 2012)
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To: gleeaikin

Your analysis of the male/female difference seems quite reasonable.

I can always tell my husband where in the refrigerator or in the cabinet an item is located. (Of course, that does not mean that I won’t find him staring right at it and not seeing it. :)


40 posted on 06/22/2011 4:32:15 AM PDT by Bigg Red (Palin in 2012)
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