this would be a new way of perceiving the world
I recently found an encouraging article published by Science Daily. This article introduces the concept of echolocation to the masses, and presents it in such a way that reveals entirely new possibilities for the human race. In addition to the benefits that I've been describing here, they discussed the potential use for echolocation as a sort of natural "x-ray".
The article discusses the capacity for anyone to be able to learn echolocation. This skill is not something you're born with and it's not something that's outside the realm of possibility. Like anything else, it just takes practice:
...no special physical skills are required in order to develop this skill. “Two hours per day for a couple of weeks are enough to distinguish whether you have an object in front of you, and within another two weeks you can tell the difference between trees and a pavement”, MartÃnez tells SINC.Echolocation could rival sight itself
The scientist recommends trying with the typical “sh” sound used to make someone be quiet. Moving a pen in front of the mouth can be noticed straightaway. This is a similar phenomenon to that when travelling in a car with the windows down, which makes it possible to “hear” gaps in the verge of the road.
I love reading articles like this. There is so much more to the human machine than we currently know. This type of insight is sure to bring about a whole new perspective on life. This is another quote from the article regarding the potential use of echolocation for seeing through softer materials to the harder materials behind.
Another of the team’s research areas involves establishing the biological limits of human echolocation ability, “and the first results indicate that detailed resolution using this method could even rival that of sight itself”. In fact, the researchers started out by being able to tell if there was someone standing in front of them, but now can detect certain internal structures, such as bones, and even “certain objects inside a bag”.
Hopefully this type of research will continue and we can begin to develop this skill in our youths to give them a better understanding of the world, a leg up on all those who simply rely on sight, and the confidence of being an extremely capable human.
Quote source:
Plataforma SINC (2009, July 6). Scientists Develop Echolocation In Humans To Aid The Blind. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075445.htm
