What would it be like to have a “Spidey sense”? Or radar senses like that of the superhero Daredevil, who could acrobatically get through a small space full of traps ready to kill, regardless of the belief that he’s entirely blind? Dr. Bradley Voytek, U.C. Berkeley neuroscientists, believes it wouldn’t be far outside the bounds of normalcy, as human beings have potential super senses that they rarely spend time developing.
The super abilities we aren’t using
Dr. Bradley Voytek is a U.C. Berkeley neuroscientist who explained that human beings have not developed mega abilities they have always had access to. The power of the human mind is extraordinary, Voytek reminds us. We’re able to hear and see with membranes in our brain. The basic biology and cellular processes involved work apart from and in concert with our conscious awareness, yet the degree of sensitivity involved in perception is far from basic.
Abilities according to Voytek
Quite arguably, states Voytek, the upper and lower threshold of our abilities lie far beyond conventional wisdom. As few as two photons in the retina could be seen by humans. A human should be able to see miles away something as simple as a candle flame. The right weather and landscape would make a difference to this.
It could also theoretically be possible that the range of human hearing – commonly from 20 Hz to 20,000 kHz – could focus down intensely enough to detect the vibrations brought on by Brownian motion, or the movement of atoms in particle theory.
Referencing yet another sense, it is known that humans can smell as few as 30 molecules of certain substances.
The ’super senses’ aren’t being used regularly
Too much attention is needed to use super sense which is why human beings don’t use them, according to Voytek. That much focus is too much for most people. People don’t want to have to focus like that. Human beings are required to focus intensely on one sense, ignoring the others, when testing the physical limits. You’ve to tune out senses consciously. This is how you get a hold of super-human senses. Our brains are able to create 3-D images even better the more we focus on perception.
You are a Daredevil
The senses can become much better when you lose one or two abilities. Ben Underwood and Terry Garrett are examples. They are both blind. Teenage Underwood is able to perfectly navigate his surroundings – even on a skateboard or roller blades – via echolocation. Underwood makes clicking sounds like a bat or dolphin. This allows a sonar sense to be created while his ears and brain work together. It is also possible for Underwood and Garrett to play video games. All they need is the sound of the game.
Dr. Voytek and other scientists will not give up until they have developed the understanding they need of the brain and the brain’s senses. We will continue to move forward until we know exactly how to acquire these super human senses.
Articles cited
CBS News
cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/19/earlyshow/main1817689.shtml
Oscillatory Thoughts
blog.ketyov.com/2011/05/we-are-all-inattentive-superheroes.html
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownian_motion
Wired
wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/blind-gamer-plays-zelda-by-ear/
Ben Underwood has overcome his blindness without surgery
youtube.com/watch?v=G1QaCeosUmw
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