The Robin's Quantum Compass
In short: European robins and other migratory birds use a quantum-mechanical process involving cryptochrome proteins in their eyes to detect Earth's magnetic field.
A 1:16 short film in the series “Mysteries Explained”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: PubMed Central (PMC) / National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), “The Magnetic Compass of Birds: The Role of Cryptochrome”; NCBI, “Magnetoreception: activated cryptochrome 1a concurs with magnetic orientation in birds”; University of Oxford, “How birds sense the magnetic field of the Earth to help them navigate”; University of Oxford Department of Chemistry, “International collaboration sheds light on the mechanism of magnetic sensing in birds”; ScienceDaily, “Which radio waves disrupt the magnetic sense in migratory birds?”; Nature, “Anthropogenic electromagnetic noise disrupts magnetic compass orientation in a migratory bird - Nature”; Nature Index, “Magnetoreception Mechanisms in Biological Systems | Sensory Systems | Neurosciences | Health sciences | Topics | Nature Index”; arXiv, “Quantum Biology, Quantum Simulation and Quantum Coherent Devices”; arXiv, “Decoherence and Spin Transitions in Radical Pair Model of Avian Magnetoreception”; Nature, “How quantum biology could help birds 'see' magnetic fields”; Scientific American, “How Migrating Birds Use Quantum Effects to Navigate”.
Sources used in this film
- PubMed Central (PMC) / National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) — The Magnetic Compass of Birds: The Role of Cryptochrome · View →
- NCBI — Magnetoreception: activated cryptochrome 1a concurs with magnetic orientation in birds · View →
- University of Oxford — How birds sense the magnetic field of the Earth to help them navigate · View →
- University of Oxford Department of Chemistry — International collaboration sheds light on the mechanism of magnetic sensing in birds · View →
- ScienceDaily — Which radio waves disrupt the magnetic sense in migratory birds? · View →
- Nature — Anthropogenic electromagnetic noise disrupts magnetic compass orientation in a migratory bird - Nature · View →
- Nature Index — Magnetoreception Mechanisms in Biological Systems | Sensory Systems | Neurosciences | Health sciences | Topics | Nature Index · View →
- arXiv — Quantum Biology, Quantum Simulation and Quantum Coherent Devices · View →
- arXiv — Decoherence and Spin Transitions in Radical Pair Model of Avian Magnetoreception · View →
- Nature — How quantum biology could help birds 'see' magnetic fields · View →
- Scientific American — How Migrating Birds Use Quantum Effects to Navigate · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: PubMed Central (PMC) / National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI): The Magnetic Compass of Birds: The Role of Cryptochrome
- Also: NCBI: Magnetoreception: activated cryptochrome 1a concurs with magnetic orientation in birds
- Also: University of Oxford: How birds sense the magnetic field of the Earth to help them navigate
- Also: University of Oxford Department of Chemistry: International collaboration sheds light on the mechanism of magnetic sensing in birds
- Also: ScienceDaily: Which radio waves disrupt the magnetic sense in migratory birds?
- Also: Nature: Anthropogenic electromagnetic noise disrupts magnetic compass orientation in a migratory bird - Nature
- Also: Nature Index: Magnetoreception Mechanisms in Biological Systems | Sensory Systems | Neurosciences | Health sciences | Topics | Nature Index
- Also: arXiv: Quantum Biology, Quantum Simulation and Quantum Coherent Devices
- Also: arXiv: Decoherence and Spin Transitions in Radical Pair Model of Avian Magnetoreception
- Also: Nature: How quantum biology could help birds 'see' magnetic fields
- Also: Scientific American: How Migrating Birds Use Quantum Effects to Navigate
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