tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post8648641977876715270..comments2024-02-06T10:31:24.491-07:00Comments on Watching the World Wake Up: Pigeon Week Part 1: Navigation & Magnetic FieldsWatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-48831712388692487802020-05-17T21:13:04.161-06:002020-05-17T21:13:04.161-06:00very interesting, smart smart guy & pigeons ar...very interesting, smart smart guy & pigeons are phenomenalAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01929544920863955673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-55583515870297171242010-02-22T22:44:52.892-07:002010-02-22T22:44:52.892-07:00superb post, i had pigeons near my office but i ha...superb post, i had pigeons near my office but i had really never observed such amazing things which you described in your post, well great efforts.stphenhttp://www.usabirdcontrol.com/audiblebirdrepellers.aspxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-72938456969858656702010-02-11T22:07:41.929-07:002010-02-11T22:07:41.929-07:00Kori, Jube- I don’t know if there’s a real navigat...Kori, Jube- I don’t know if there’s a real navigational difference between genders (though there’s certainly an ego difference) but for sure there’s a navigational difference between individual people. As for magnetism playing a role…<br /><br />In one of the pigeon-related papers I read I came across a reference to an experiment done some years back where a bunch of people were blindfolded and driven out to a remote rural location in the woods. Half the people had their heads exposed to a strong magnetic field before “release” (something that messes up pigeons.) Supposedly the non-blasted humans found their way out better, but I don’t think the results were ever confirmed or replicated.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-49440847781183413712010-02-11T16:18:45.794-07:002010-02-11T16:18:45.794-07:00Super cool post. I love that pigeons have two ind...Super cool post. I love that pigeons have two independent but equally good navigation systems. Seems to me that our three human navigation systems not equal. <br /><br />When the Earth's magnetic field flips again, I expect there will be total chaos. Can't wait!<br /><br />Do the differences between individual human's senses of direction have anything to do with magnetics? Like, do some of us have magnetite or something to sense the field and others don't?Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10896006691904225007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-30245075326876451332010-02-10T14:30:27.893-07:002010-02-10T14:30:27.893-07:00I have to weigh in on the GPS topic. I am like Sk...I have to weigh in on the GPS topic. I am like SkiBikeJunkie's sisters - totally without a sense of direction. The local mall, which has had the same layout since it was built in 1976, still gets me turned around. I always have to walk/shop in a counter-clockwise direction to avoid backtracking. When I got a GPS for my car, it literally changed my life. I never had to worry about getting lost, and suddenly I was free to explore, find new places, and say "Oh, so that's where that is!" It was like giving a pair of glasses to a person who had been nearsighted their whole life.<br /><br />The handheld is different, we use it mostly for marking locations (we do maintenance for the Appalachian Trail corridor) and hikes to see how far we went, elevation, etc. So far, we have not had to use it in to get "un-lost", but that's mostly because my husband does possess navigational skills.<br /><br />Have you found that there is a navigational ability difference between genders? It seems like most guys are pretty good at it, or at least pretend to be...Korinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-21128142508570230932010-02-10T07:52:50.860-07:002010-02-10T07:52:50.860-07:00Photojournalist...Photojournalist...Eric Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10226373330932209950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-90582086334891111442010-02-09T22:32:35.439-07:002010-02-09T22:32:35.439-07:00P65- I do own a handheld, and could see using it i...P65- I do own a handheld, and could see using it in a white-out. The only time it's really come in useful for me over the last few years is hiking across flat mesa-tops covered in Pinon-Juniper, on loop hikes where I'm trying to return to my vehicle.<br /><br />Enel- In Dawkins' book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Watchmaker-Evidence-Evolution-Universe/dp/0393315703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265779884&sr=8-1" rel="nofollow">The Blind Watchmaker</a>, he has a great description of sonar in bats, capped off with a speculatory section on what bats might experience. It's quite good.<br /><br />EricW- curious, what's your job?Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-23754783790220859862010-02-09T14:39:11.785-07:002010-02-09T14:39:11.785-07:00Great post.
No GPS for me.
The Earth's flipp...Great post.<br /><br />No GPS for me.<br /><br />The Earth's flipping magnetic field was used to help provide proof of plate tectonics by somehow comparing the magnetic poles noted in rocks on the ocean rifts and seeing that they were symmetric on each side of the rift....or something like that, haven't studied it for 20 years, but it was way cool.<br /><br />I have also wondered how other "extrasensory" animals (specifically echolocators) "see" the world. Normal for them I guess, but totally different and unimaginable to us.Enelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00967981896718833776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-32399188735648925552010-02-09T13:27:17.994-07:002010-02-09T13:27:17.994-07:001) My job involves all sorts of off the cuff insa...1) My job involves all sorts of off the cuff insane navigation in unfamiliar localities with sketchy directions. I love the GPSr, but I love the feeling of being able to navigate without it- and for the first few months in a new place I won't use the GPSr. If I force myself to make those spatial maps it helps me figure things out on my own.<br /><br />2) I had to feed a friends pigeons for them when there were on vacation( these were the hunting dog training flavor pigeons) I was always relieved by the fact if one did manage to escape that it was allegedly reportedly supposed to come back.Eric Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10226373330932209950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-52785023826765837882010-02-09T06:22:59.467-07:002010-02-09T06:22:59.467-07:00Great post. I hate GPS in the car, it's reall...Great post. I hate GPS in the car, it's really distracting. I was in the Scottish mountains this weekend navigating in whiteout conditions and a handheld GPS came in handy a couple of times to confirm our position as a backup to map & compass. PS the steel head of my ice axe was deflecting my compass by about 20 degrees when I held them both in the same hand. Enough to navigate you over a cliff!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18311987239250712221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-46652158890568816832010-02-08T21:03:51.599-07:002010-02-08T21:03:51.599-07:00ElZo- Many pigeons commute, but many don’t- or rat...ElZo- Many pigeons commute, but many don’t- or rather they commute within the city, to parks, dumpsters, landfills, etc. Oh and that reminds me, someday I want to do a post on OCD behaviors<br /><br />KristenT- Though my rally exposure is largely limited to your videos, I know I’d love it. Ahh… another time-consuming, expensive hobby- better start building up the credits with AW!<br /><br />SBJ- Mules fascinate me. The whole sterile-hybrid-that’s-super-tough-and-sure-footed thing. They’re like these weird super-donkeys.<br /><br />WheelDancer- My senior year in college (EE) I went for an interview at a satellite company. A friend warned me beforehand that the interviewer would ask if I could tell him Maxwell’s equations. So I carefully memorized them before heading for the interview. During the interview, sure enough, the guy asks me, “So can you share with me Maxwell’s equations?” <i>Yes!</i> I thought- <i>my preparation has paid off!</i> Not wanting to look suspiciously over-ready, I paused for a moment and looked thoughtful, whereupon the interviewer leaned forward and said, “Or perhaps you could <i>derive</i> them?” Oh $@%!Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-48020979970793308912010-02-08T18:51:58.254-07:002010-02-08T18:51:58.254-07:00Your posts always make me feel like I am waking up...Your posts always make me feel like I am waking up to watch the world through your eyes and this is one of your better posts. Looking forward to the rest of the series<br /><br />I worked in the disc drive industry for a time and was pretty fascinated with magnetism. One day someone called with a question that I think was the geekiest: how many Maxwell's are there on my hard drive? I was the only one in the office who admitted to understanding the question but couldn't even fake an answer.WheelDancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15219805760534549996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-54037553863397558232010-02-08T17:24:25.519-07:002010-02-08T17:24:25.519-07:00Great post. Pigeons are interesting birds aren'...Great post. Pigeons are interesting birds aren't they?CE Websterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09079522429896600998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-29584409648232496902010-02-08T16:09:09.857-07:002010-02-08T16:09:09.857-07:00I used to think I was quite good with directions u...I used to think I was quite good with directions until I started mtn biking and skiing with people like you and dug who actually are good with directions.<br /><br />This overblown sense of my own ability probably derived from how spectacularly bad my sisters are at navigating. The two oldest sisters lived in Seoul, Korea for a period of time, and while they did, they would frequently venture out into the city for one purpose or another, often going far from home. When time came to return they would, at each intersection, consult with one another on which way they THOUGHT they should go. Once agreed, they would do just the opposite. Recognizing how bad they were and taking this counter-intuitive approach always got them home.<br /><br />They should have just got a pet pigeon.<br /><br />Want to know another animal that's good with directions? A mule. My uncle runs some cattle down in southern Utah with his father-in-law. One night they were out on the range past dark. Father-in-law always rides mules and refuses to ride horses. It was too dark to see where they were going or how to get back, so he just gave his mule the reins and told all the guys on horses to follow. They rode for a couple hours, unable to see much, until the mule suddenly stopped. They dismounted and looked around to discover they were right next to their tents.Ski Bike Junkiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12295969126174565599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-35558497356671075962010-02-08T12:09:08.533-07:002010-02-08T12:09:08.533-07:00Very interesting stuff! I've wondered about t...Very interesting stuff! I've wondered about the magnetic field, and pigeons' homing ability, but not at the same time. So it's like a bonus! :)<br /><br />Re: transmission choice, GPS, maps, etc: I personally prefer a manual transmission for, as ElZo said, a better "feel" for driving ("oneness") and control. I also like GPS, but don't rely on it to get me where I need to go, because I always make sure I know where I'm supposed to go before I leave my start point-- but then again, I'm also someone who enjoys figuring out how long it will take me to go a certain distance at a certain speed, which leads into my next paragraph.....<br /><br />Watcher, you may enjoy TSD rallying (time-speed-distance), from a geeky route-finding and staying-on-time point of view. I don't know if there are any clubs in your area putting on events, though. <br /><br />Looking forward to the rest of pigeon week!KristenThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01187723351100391708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-47576184264201962422010-02-08T09:54:22.453-07:002010-02-08T09:54:22.453-07:00One point of curiosity: If pigeons reverse-commut...One point of curiosity: If pigeons reverse-commute out of big cities to forage in the 'burbs and countryside during the day, why do I see so many of them around Manhattan during daylight hours when I go there on business? They sure look like they're having fun flying through the canyonlike streets.<br /><br />And I may be weirder: I prefer manual transmission to automatic for the added control and sense of one-ness with the car that it provides, but love having a GPS in the car when on vacation in an unfamiliar town or region.<br /><br />It's not that I'm unwilling or unable to figure out routes and navigate manually. It's that I'm neurotic about keeping track of where I am. Doing so while driving using only a map or cue sheet is either cumbersome (as I have to pull over to check the map regularly) or dangerous (as I try to read it while driving). The GPS soothes me and keeps my navigational OCD in check by letting me verify my current position and next turn at a glance.ElZohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16207148171071531956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-69264037266324454332010-02-08T09:33:48.649-07:002010-02-08T09:33:48.649-07:00Awesome post. 4-5 neighborhood friends and I rais...Awesome post. 4-5 neighborhood friends and I raised homing pigeons growing up. We noticed that they were faster and more successful in returning if we always released them from the same general direction. I plan on raising pigeons again someday, bur probably not until I'm either too old to ride my bike or have a bit more time for an extra hobby.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00622082658232225351noreply@blogger.com