![]() Do you think you could live without your sight? Daniel Kish, who has been blind since infancy, explains how he uses echolocation to hike in the mountains, cook and ride his bike. By using clicking sounds similar to bats and dolphins, Kish has tuned his ear and brain to detect variations in the sounds that bounce back at him. For example, if Kish holds a flat glass one arm-length from his face, the echo of the click sound he makes will sound lower when it bounces back to him, than if the glass had been half that distance. For a demonstration, click here. According to smithsonian.com, echolocation provides “flashes” of the surrounding area. One might compare the experience to turning on and off a flashlight. Kish explains that echolocation can help those who are blind in navigating their world. Though echolocation cannot completely replace sight, it allows for the brain to register what is around it, and react accordingly. For example, Kish explains that when he clicks at a bush the sound waves that bounce back can be interpreted in his mind as fuzzy, thin, wispy or soft. Echolocation is not a super-human trait; in contrast, through years of experimentation and practice, anyone can train their brain to recognize distances, depth, shape, even surface textures through the powers of echolocation. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a05kgcI9D2Q https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A8lztr1tu4o&feature=youtu.be https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-does-human-echolocation-work-180965063/ Picture from: http://discovermagazine.com/2015/july-aug/27-sonic-vision
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