ddavidkatzz

How many senses does a human being have?

matt-kean:

At least nine. The five senses we all know about – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch – were first listed by Aristotle, who, while brilliant, often got things wrong. (For example, he taught that we thought with our hearts, that bees were created by the rotting carcasses of bulls and that flies had only four legs.)

There are four more commonly agreed senses:

1 Thermoception, the sense of heat (or its absence) on our skin.

2 Equilibrioception – our sense of balance – which is determined by the fluid-containing cavities in the inner ear.

3 Nociception – the perception of pain from the skin, joints and body organs. Oddly, this does not include the brain, which has no pain receptors at all. Headaches, regardless of the way it seems, don’t come from inside the brain.

4 Proprioception – or ‘body awareness’. This is the unconscious knowledge of where our body parts are without being able to see or feel them. For example, close your eyes and waggle your foot in the air. You still know where it is in relation to the rest of you.

Every self-respecting neurologist has their own opinion about whether there are more than these nine. Some argue that there are up to twenty-one. What about hunger? Or thirst? The sense of depth, or the sense of meaning, or language? Or the endlessly intriguing subject of synaesthesia, where senses collide and combine so that music can be perceived in colour? And what about the sense of electricity, or even impending danger, when your hair stands on end? There are also senses which some animals have but we don’t. Sharks have keenelectroception which allows them to sense electric fields, magnetoception detects magnetic fields and is used in the navigation systems of birds and insects, echolocation and the ‘lateral line’ are used by fish to sense pressure, and infrared vision is used by owls and deer to hunt or feed at night.

(via littlelovett)

1. davidparisi reblogged this from matt-kean
2. morbidityanddeath reblogged this from matt-kean
3. learnyourlexism reblogged this from matt-kean
4. pennyroyal-tea-time reblogged this from matt-kean
5. nigelisagirl liked this
6. for-t0morrow reblogged this from matt-kean
7. mnemonical reblogged this from matt-kean
8. skinnyxox reblogged this from matt-kean
9. mnemonical liked this
10. gypsy-kate reblogged this from matt-kean
11. zombie-glitter reblogged this from matt-kean
12. thefox-xo liked this
13. mikedeezel liked this
14. girlinterupted2 reblogged this from matt-kean
15. jackjimjose liked this
16. jackjimjose reblogged this from matt-kean
17. betweenyou-n-i liked this
18. febrianakusuma reblogged this from matt-kean
19. ab0ve liked this
20. littleladykins reblogged this from matt-kean
21. wreckintheworld reblogged this from winkpeaceandpoutbaby
22. alwayslivefree liked this
23. an-cres liked this
24. helenalies reblogged this from ismokedinmexico
25. dirtypockets reblogged this from matt-kean
26. untiltimeisfree liked this
27. bullshitovereasy reblogged this from matt-kean
28. sparkydanny liked this
29. ddavidkatzz reblogged this from littlelovett
30. jonfreakingc liked this
31. pugsnotdrugs liked this
32. bombingthepanhandle liked this
33. bombingthepanhandle reblogged this from matt-kean
34. xothehost reblogged this from matt-kean
35. treatsforthetrixters reblogged this from matt-kean
36. nerdception liked this
37. i-dream-in-technicolour reblogged this from matt-kean
38. nerdception reblogged this from i-dream-in-technicolour
39. betweenshadowsandsouls reblogged this from matt-kean
40. limitededitionsyko liked this
41. kaminaomi reblogged this from matt-kean
42. kaththestrange liked this
43. deathsdaughter reblogged this from winkpeaceandpoutbaby
44. separationofsoundandnoise reblogged this from matt-kean
45. peanutbutterpossums liked this
46. amlouboo reblogged this from matt-kean
47. lookiamwhatiam reblogged this from matt-kean
48. startfromscratchmyback reblogged this from korrigankaty
49. birdieinwonderland reblogged this from littlelovett and added:

    OMG Woflie I have no idea! this is cool though lol.

50. tuatha reblogged this from matt-kean
51. Show more notesLoading...