Is a Dolphin or Bat's ability to use sonar a form of ESP?

[Quixote1818]

After all, it is a "sixth sense". Pit Vipers can sense heat waves.

It seems to me that Evolution can be quite creative in finding ways to use different forms of Energy for sensory perception and survival. Since we are made of Energy it only makes sense that we should be built to biologically arrange some forms of energy into a form we can perceive. If humans didn't have the ability to hear or see would we then consider those types of sensory perception superstition?

Now I am not saying I believe people can see the future etc. etc but it makes you wonder what sensory ability's evolution could eventually come up with. How about the ability to see or sense radio waves or microwaves or any of the multitude of energy forms found in the universe? Visible light just happens to be one of the forms of energy humans are built to see.

Here are all the types of senses animals have that humans don't:


Ultraviolet Light


Infrared Radiation


Magnetic Fields


Electric Fields

[Basileus Basileon]

1. No. It's a sense. And therefore not extra-sensory.

Moreover, it can be detected, explained, and replicated in a lab.

[Quixote1818]

8. It's extra-sensory compared to humans

How many humans do you know that can use sonar?

[mondo joe]

10. We use hearing. Bats use hearing.

They can hear some things we can't. But it's still hearing.

[Basileus Basileon]

11. I can hear just fine.

When I hear a sound, I can tell if it was from my left or my right, or in front or behind me. Bats can do the same thing--they just bounce sounds off rocks and hear where the bounced noises come from.

[Quixote1818]

12. Here is a better example

Platypus
Has electric sensors in its bill that can detect 0.05 microvolts. Other receptors in the bill are for touch and temperature detection.

[Basileus Basileon]

16. I can feel just fine, too.

I have sensors in my skin that detect ambient heat energy, allowing me to tell if heat is flowing into or out of my skin. I can detect when sensors are deformed by pressure. I even have special priority sensors that inform me of cellular damage. I sure don't like when those go off.

Sure, I lack sensors that go off for electric current alone, but really, my somatosensory system is the same as a platypus's otherwise. He's just got one more type of specialized sensor than I do. His system still works along the same lines, and you can easily identify where the sensors are, what they do, and what nerve pathways they follow.

[Quixote1818]

17. How about see infrared wavelengths?

Some fish can see into the infrared wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum. Also, some birds can sense the magnetic field.

Based on most of the definitions of ESP I just looked at, it seems these things do not fall under that category (which is centered around the supernatural) but I would say that they are senses humans don't have. The first definition I read only said ESP was a "sixth sense".

[Basileus Basileon]

21. I can see fine, too.

I can see different wavelengths than those fish can, yeah, but I can still see fine. If I had a pair of God Tweezers, I could adjust the receptors in the cones in my eyes to activate on entirely different wavelengths, and read those instead.

These aren't senses humans lack, they're simply the senses we have, evolved for the environments those animals are in. We've got our own special, magical tricks too. We've got great color vision, and extremely fine touch sensing and motor control in our hands. But our biggest sensory advantage is in our hearing--we can talk. Many animals can send auditory signals, but nothing else can talk like we can.

We have neurological structures to break complex pressure waveforms in the air into artificial phonemes, and then combine those into words and sentences on the fly, both coding and decoding with incredible speed. With this coding of pressure waves, we can then think the thoughts that other humans wish to communicate to us. We can then modulate various things in our throat and mouth to create new pressure waves that cause others to think the thoughts we want them to. Our creative, infinite speech is an amazing, amazing thing. To earlier humans, we must have seemed telepathic. That's enough of a superpower for me.

[MonkeyFunk]

15. There's at least one

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,26334,1212568,00.html

[fishwax]

19. wow, that's an interesting article

thanks for posting it ...

[IndianaJones]

2. no. nt.

[Spinzonner]

3. Is a submarine's

[orleans]

4. i would say no. sonar is not a form of esp.

but maybe that "gut" instinct that people get is

:shrug:

[aikoaiko]

5. No, there are specific physiological sense organs to account for these senses

nothing extra.

[TZ]

6. both of those abilities are easily quantifiable though

As is the pit vipers ability to sense heat. ESP is not quantifiable. If it is/was skeptics would be more inclined to believe it..
(go with a bat biologist who has a "bat detector" to pick up the bats echo locating calls and you will understand)

[TahitiNut]

7. If so, a sonogram is Black Magic.

D'oh. :dunce: :crazy:

[Richard Steele]

24. Yes. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. nm

[mondo joe]

9. No, it's a form of sonar. And it utilizes hearing - that's still one of the 5 senses.

[Quixote1818]

13. Here is a better example

Platypus

Has electric sensors in its bill that can detect 0.05 microvolts. Other receptors in the bill are for touch and temperature detection.

[MonkeyFunk]

14. No

it's not "extra-sensory" if they can sense it.

[TZ]

18. are electric eels paranormal?

After all they can generate an electrical current and we can't.
Animals having senses and abilities we don't is in no way shape or form paranormal. Its strictly differing physiology.
Just like its exta complex neural matter in our brains that allows us higher thinking abilities over most animals.

[Quixote1818]

20. The first definition of ESP I looked at defined it as a "sixth sense"

It didn't talk about the paranormal. I did some more searching and see that the term "ESP" came from a guy who was interested in the paranormal. I should have looked at the other definitions before posting this.

[Quantess]

22. If humans had those talents, then yes.

Thank you for posting this.

Plants have phytonutrients and other beneficial properties that pharmaceutical companies are actively working hard to dismiss. Just look at Asian pharmaceuticals. They are taking advantage of plant chemicals, which have been tried and true throughout their medical history, while the U.S. says no way.

Animals have talents and abilities that surpass those of humans. Infrared, odor detection, and science can only tell us...what else! Other creatures are superior in their own way of life. They have found their own "niche" in life, so to speak.



Humans are really stupid, to the point of our demise, if we think that we can run the earth into the ground because televangelists tell us it's "normal" to expect Jesus to arrive tomorrow.

Humans are really stupid and arrogant to assume that we are the smartest beings in every single way. We are not! For one, humans value money-right-fucking-now, over their home (the earth).
Edit: grammar

[greyl]

26. One thing. Humans most certainly Have found their niche.

Let's not mistake one culture for all of humanity - there are still thousands of others.

[L. Coyote]

23. No.

[Quantess]

25. Those animals weren't created in God's image, only humans were.

End of story.

[bananarepublican]

28. Humans are the only evil species here on Earth! n/t

[bananarepublican]

27. Please do a Google search on 'remote viewing'. The CIA and the KGB had considerable success. n/t