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Post by Tara on Jan 2, 2005 14:14:10 GMT -5
Why do some animals like cats, dogs and mice have whiskers?
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Post by Amalcas on Jan 2, 2005 15:27:45 GMT -5
Its another "sense." The whiskers are extremely sensitive to any motion at all, so they can detect movement within a short range without it makng any noise -- with their eyes closed. Basically, it helps recognize, and, in some animals, identify something.
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Post by Tara on Jan 2, 2005 19:07:56 GMT -5
Interesting. I wonder if humans have something like that. I know we have an expression that says, "It makes the hairs on my neck stand" or something like that. "think"
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Post by Amalcas on Jan 2, 2005 21:59:00 GMT -5
Well, thats different. Thats a nervous reaction, whereas this is a full-blown sense. Humans just have a "compass" in their nose, like many other animals. Yes, "sense of direction" is a real sense(though not classified as a sense).  |
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Post by Tara on Jan 3, 2005 8:55:22 GMT -5
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Post by Amalcas on Jan 3, 2005 18:35:44 GMT -5
We have a very small amount of magnetized iron in or nose. "Follow you nose" is also vaguely correct.  However, its extremely unreliable, almost as much as my compass (which, infamously among some of my friends, harnesses the magnetic field as an energy source; that is, it spins in circles constantly). |
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moonchain
Guide
It raises a fever of intense apathy.
Posts: 595
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Post by moonchain on Jan 11, 2005 19:11:32 GMT -5
I know what you mean about compasses. I have one on my pocket watch and I have to wait patiently as it shifts around a bit to point North. But I found it interesting that when I discovered which direction was North in my worship section of the room, I found that I had already orientated everything in that direction (and when had previously thought about changing the orientation, I stopped myself because it didn't "feel right").
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Post by Tigress on Jan 12, 2005 2:54:40 GMT -5
I have a compass that points to the South all the time...lol
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