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The human eye can detect a single photon.

Our other senses aren't so exquisite (it might be interesting to have the "nose of a dog" for awhile, say). But I am so often surprised at what I see.




I can't remember where I read it (probably a link from HN), about someone who, for a limited amount of time, had their sense of smell relatively suddenly become incredibly boosted, and my recollection is that they likened it to being a dog - the amount of information available to them about people in a Doctor's waiting room was surprising and confronting.


Wow, that's probably amazing!

I once had an experience that gave me just a hit of what it must be like for cats and dogs. My cat had been hit by a skunk, and of course it was after hours in a rural area so it was the next day before we could get the tomato juice to clean him off. While he was still stinky, he mostly hid under a blanket with just his nose sticking out so he could minimize the smell. But he came out to go to his food/water bowl while I was reading a newspaper in a big chair (pre-internet times).

So I couldn't see him and he was walking silently, but the smell was so strong that I could sense his location in full 3D — it was just a wonderous AHA! moment — "so THIS is what it's like for them - they can literally sense in 3D using smell the way we do with sight and hearing...".

I know it was just a hint, as this was just the gains cranked way up on one smell, whereas they get the full-spectrum richness for everything, but, wow, what a revelation! The person's experience must have been truly mind-blowing!




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