Senses

Eye eye, captain: The most amazing eyes in the animal kingdom

Dr Helen Pilcher looks at the beautiful and bizarre ocular arrangements seen in the animal kingdom.
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Animal senses, with Ed Yong

Science writer Ed Yong joins us on our podcasts, Instant Genius and Instant Genius Extra.
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What is tetrachromacy and how do I know if I’ve got it?

Some people have a special adaptation that allows them potentially to see a hundred times more colours than the rest of us.
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'One who causes fear': Newly discovered dinosaur was a top predator

The abelisaurid family were all good hunters, but Llukalkan aliocranianus’s hearing set it apart from its relatives.
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COVID-19 may be linked to hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo

Researchers hope further studies will estimate the number and severity of COVID-19-related hearing disorders in the UK.
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Neanderthals could talk like humans, study suggests

Our cousins’ ears were tuned to the frequencies used in human communication.
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Your nose could be the key to getting fit, a study in mice suggests

The sense of smell is linked with the drive to exercise, suggests a study in mice
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What is the worst sound in the world?

Is it really nails on a blackboard?
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Can you train your ears to hear better?

Training your ears could help you to pick out speech in a noisy room.
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COVID-19: Loss of smell a 'highly reliable indicator' of infection

Loss of smell or taste should now be considered globally as a criterion for self-isolation, testing, and contact tracing, researchers say.
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More than 1 in 10 report post-COVID-19 hearing deterioration

Researchers of a small scale study say there is an urgent need for more research into how the disease impacts the audiovestibular system.
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Body odour enzyme existed 'before evolution of modern humans'

Researchers have identified the cause of the smell produced by armpits as a particular enzyme.
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Haptic technology uses ultrasound waves to create Braille out of thin air

A new form of haptic technology has been designed that gives blind people the sensation of reading Braille, without having to touch any surfaces.
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How does anosmia affect your sense of smell?

There are lots of causes of anosmia, but the most common is a viral infection.
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Where does our sense of direction come from within the brain?

We have two ways of finding our way around: 'egocentric' and 'spatial' navigation. Michael Bond explains in this extract from his book Wayfinding.
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Blind mice see again thanks to altered skin cells

The new technique could take the treatment for blindness from six months down to two weeks.
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Look inside a dinosaur's skull with these pictures from the pop-up book Tyrannosaurus Rex

T. rex's extraordinary senses helped it to be one of the greatest hunters to walk the Earth.
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Dogs’ cold noses are 'ultra-sensitive heat detectors'

Dogs' noses are even more heat-sensitive than human hands, a study has found.
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When bees can’t see, the humble bumble can make do with a fumble

New study finds that bumblebees can recognise objects in the dark using the sense of touch.
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The cause of migraines could be in sight (quite literally)

Abnormalities in the visual cortex, which processes information from the eyes, could be the cause of migraines, a study has found.
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Scientists give cuttlefish 3D glasses to test their eyesight

The cephalopods use binocular vision to determine the best distance to attack moving prey, the study suggests.
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How to smell nice

It’s whiffy, it’s unpleasant, and many of us have suffered from the embarrassment it causes, but what is the best way to deal with body odour?
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Are 'brain tingles' more than just a feeling?

Welcome to the world of the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, brain tingles that scientists think could be harnessed for good.
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New device has a 'nose' for sniffing bacteria on the breath

Experts have created a machine that sniffs out bacteria – meaning it can tell when antibiotics are needed as a treatment.
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