A "Sixth Sense" for natural disasters

[Rekkr]

Ok, this is one of the most fascinating stories I've read in awhile.

 

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/7036

 

Apparently Aboriginees fled to higher ground before the Asian tsunami hit (among other things in the article). This is very similar to bears always knowing which way is north, etc.

 

So, what do you guys make of this? Comments...

[Nevermore]

I think it's more likely that the tribesmen saw the animals running for higher ground, and decided to follow suit.

[Rekkr]

It still doesn't explain how the animals knew.

[Glider]

They pay attention, a trick humans have lost.

 

Bears always know which way is north? So do I (it's how I used to navigate when I was a despatch rider), it's really not that hard. It's down to paying attention. Animals don't really have any weird or supernatural abilities, they just use the senses they have and notice the things that warn them of danger. Because humans have enveloped themselves in technology and a false sense of security, we have lost the knack; the ability to recognise the signs that indicate danger. When a tsunami is approaching, one of the things that happen is that the sea withdraws as the wave approaches. Huge numbers of people were lost in the tsunami because they trotted down the beach to see where it had gone. There was no sense of "that can't be good. I'm out of here".

[coquina]

Ok' date=' this is one of the most fascinating stories I've read in awhile.

 

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/7036

 

Apparently Aboriginees fled to higher ground before the Asian tsunami hit (among other things in the article). This is very similar to bears always knowing which way is north, etc.

 

So, what do you guys make of this? Comments...[/quote']

 

Read this article titled "Magnetic Information In Animal Orientation"

http://soma.npa.uiuc.edu/courses/physl490b/models/magnetoreception/magnetoreception.html

 

It describes experiments which determined that some animals (ie homing pigeons and sea turtles) definitely use magnetism for navigation/migration. It

also explores the possibility that humans have the ability to some extent:

"Magnetic orientation in humans?

Evidence for and against magnetic orientation in humans is limited. The discovery of magnetic particles (magnetite) in the human brain (Dunn et al., 1995) suggests that humans may be sensitive to magnetic fields (see next section on how the brain processes magnetic information). Some studies reported that humans can point to the North when they have limited other cues ( Baker, 1980), while other studies (e.g.: Fildes et al., 1984) found no evidence of magnetic orientation by humans. Regardless of whether magnetic orientation exists in humans, humans definitely prefer to use visual cues for navigation."

 

I saw a documentary on the Australian aboriginies some time ago - apparently they can navigate huge expanses of desert without benefit of a compass. (I realize if the sky is clear anyone can detect "north" but you can still wander a good bit off track.)

 

Anyway - my hypothesis is that the earth's magnetic field in the locality of the earthquake which preceded the tsunami, was disturbed enough for the animals, and perhaps the aboriginies to detect it. If the aboriginies didn't detect it first hand, as the previous poster said, they notice what goes on around them, and when other species detect danger, and start to run, they don't wait around to see what's going to happen.

[Ophiolite]

Its slightly off-topic but when I am navigating in a strange city at night or on an overcast day I use satellite antenna to determine south. (I got really screwed up on a trip to Gabon!)

[blike]

Read the study. The brain recognizes a pattern of making mistakes. Little to do with a sixth sense or 'forsight'. Leave it to the media to hype things up.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4144405.stm

 

Someone on slashdot mentioned that it was probably a small subset of animals that recognized something was wrong. Everything else (including the aborigines) took the cue. As Glider says, they paid attention. Receding water + fleeing animals.

[5614]

this is very common, scientists have observed this for a long time now.

 

they dont know causes it, but eclipses, and most natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes etc.) I believe they were recreating effects of earthquakes in a lab to see how animals reacted but weren't being too succesful, at the same time that was a while ago, so im not sure on the latest news.

[Mokele]

An important thing to remember about animals and earthquakes is that just because we can't hear it, doesn't mean they can't. Many animal species can detect sound frequencies much lower than we can. AFAIK, the sound of the earthquake would precede the actual destructive waves or tsunami (though I'm not 100% sure of this).

 

And it wouldn't take much natural selection to program in the instinct of "Sound X is a *very* bad sound, do Y"

 

Mokele

[Reny]

Six Sense is classified to Biology?

[Sayonara]

Read the study. The brain recognizes a pattern of making mistakes. Little to do with a sixth sense or 'forsight'. Leave it to the media to hype things up.

If they want to categorise that recognition as "sixth sense", let them. It gives them something to talk about, which keeps them out of the way.

[Auburngirl05]

I think that in situations like the recent tsunami it is just a case of the aboriginees being more in tune with weather patterns and signs, and most of all being aware of the local wildlife and simply following the cues when the animals picked up signals and made a run for it.

[Ophiolite]

Six Sense is classified to Biology?

I understand humans have over twenty senses, so I think we can admit number six into Biology.

[cool_b74]

aboriginees ran for higher ground:

 

before an earthquake , animals that live in burrows pick up strange frequencies and if it is more than they can bear they live their burrows and look for a place where it doesn't affect them . it's guessing. Mother elephant can return to a grazing ground or a water hole that is 3 days away and that she visited 3 years before . it is brain 's ability and the signals and the frequencies in the atmosphere

 

aboriginees select a place to reside based on their past experiences

 

brain has lot of abilities, one of them is to pick up the signals present in your sorroundings

 

i was at home in the andamans when the earthquake struck. since i just woke up from sleep so i don't know how did the animals behave

 

 

 

i think it is related with the brain, conversion of signals in the atmosphere to an image it creates