Menasha Public Library (Elisha D. Smith)

Where we meet the world, the story of the senses, Ashley Ward

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-292) and index

index present

non fiction

Where we meet the world

bibliography

1334883630

Ashley Ward

the story of the senses

"Our senses are the basis for our entire lived experience. They equip us to perceive beauty, from great art to the grandeur of the natural world, and to appreciate a sip of an ice-cold drink, the sound of laughter, the touch of a lover. Senses are, in short, what make life worth living. Only recently, however, have incredible advances in sensory biology given us the ability to understand how and why our senses evolved as they have. In Where We Meet the World, biologist Ashley Ward reveals how our five major senses-vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch-were formed and how they so profoundly structure the ways we think and behave. Drawing on cutting-edge research into human and animal sensation, Ward challenges our traditional understanding about how our senses function. Whereas many once considered senses in isolation, recent findings have revealed that each sense feeds back upon the others, so that the senses inform, adapt, and regulate one another. Similarly, senses have been widely viewed as 'data collectors' of external information to be processed by the brain. In fact, new discoveries have revealed that our innermost feelings temper and shape our perception: there's an essential two-way interplay between the mind and our senses, molding how we experience every facet of our lives. In lively, accessible prose, Ward also draws on his deep expertise in animal behavior to explore how senses have evolved to meet the needs of our environment. Although we're unable to hear the deepest bass conversations of whales, for instance, or the ultrasonic squeals of hunting bats, our ears are optimized to convey the specific frequencies associated with the human voice, enabling us to be absolutely attuned to the job of listening to one another. And while we lag far behind the night vision of cats and dogs, our excellent color vision allows us to pick up subtle differences in reds and greens, helping us detect which fruits are ripest at the grocery store. This evolution is far from over. Even today, smartphone technology is shaping our sense of touch in ways researchers are only beginning to understand. Full of warmth and humor, Where We Meet the World tells the thrilling story of our senses and explores the astounding breadth of our interaction with the world"--, Provided by publisher

Story of the senses