Migrating birds can sense magnetic north. A leading idea is that a protein in their eyes, cryptochrome, reacts to the magnetic field through a quantum effect, possibly letting them see it as a pattern over their vision.
Truth label: Debated. Serious people disagree. You get both sides.
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The evidence
Lab studies show the robin's cryptochrome is sensitive to magnetic fields, and birds lose their compass under certain radio noise.
Still open
Exactly how the signal reaches the brain, and what birds experience, is not yet known.
Learn
- Quantum biology. Quantum effects were once thought impossible in warm, wet living things. Bird navigation is a key test case.
Test yourself
Which protein is linked to the bird compass?
Cryptochrome. Cryptochrome in the eye is the leading candidate.
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