BEYOND THE FIVE

10 Weird Senses Humans And Other Animals Have

Image: Bacila Vlad

Who said there are only five senses? While humans rely heavily on sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, there are many more sensory abilities in both humans and animals, some of which can seem bizarre or even otherworldly.

From detecting magnetic fields to perceiving infrared light, here are 10 extraordinary senses that will challenge your understanding of animal perception.

Image: Inge Poelman

Despite having a weird name, this is by far one of the most standard senses among living organisms. Humans and animals alike rely on proprioception to perceive the position and movement of their bodies in space. This sense operates through specialized receptors (mechanosensory neurons) located in muscles and joints, providing crucial feedback to our brains for keeping balance, coordination, and doing precise movements.

Image: Jametlene Reskp

Some animals, like birds, turtles, and even some insects, possess the remarkable ability to sense Earth's magnetic field. This sense, known as magnetoreception, allows them to navigate during migration or find their way home with astonishing accuracy. In fact, some scientists argue that humans might have a latent or even subconscious ability to perceive Earth’s magnetic field through a number of receptors located in the optical retina.

Image: TJ Fitzsimmons

Bats and dolphins are well known for their use of echolocation, emitting high-frequency sounds and interpreting the echoes to navigate and locate prey. A form of active sonar similar to the one used by ships and submarines, this extraordinary sense enables them to "see" their surroundings even in complete darkness. Interestingly, some insects that are hunted by echolocating bats have developed active countermeasures against them, using ultrasonic clicks for echolocation jamming or by imitating the call of toxic species.

Image: Amos

Sharks, rays, and certain fish have electroreceptive organs called ampullae of Lorenzini, allowing them to detect the electric fields produced by other animals. In most species, this sense is paired with the ability to generate weak electric fields of their own. This unique sense aids in both navigating and hunting in murky or dark waters, where traditional senses might fall short. Monotremes like platypus and echidnas have curiously evolved a similar sense of electroreception to aid them in finding food.

Image: Wolfgang Hasselmann

Thermoception or thermoreception is the sense that aids in detecting changes in the surrounding temperature, and it is the reason anything feels hot or cold. In large animals, like humans, thermoception occurs mainly in the skin. But some species, like pit vipers, possess specialized organs capable of detecting infrared radiation, allowing them to sense heat from prey or predators. Recently, scientists have discovered that dogs possess thermoreceptors within their noses, allowing them to detect weak thermal changes in front of them.

Image: Alexander Grey

Certain insects, such as ants and locusts, possess hygroreceptors that allow them to detect humidity levels in their environment. This sense helps them find suitable habitats, avoid desiccation, and regulate behaviors like nest-building and foraging. And while you might think humans can also tell whether something is wet or not, the truth is we don’t have any hygroreceptors, and can only infer wetness through contextual clues - as wet objects tend to be colder or feel slippery.

Image: Mikhail Vasilyev

Many animals, including insects, mammals, and even some reptiles, communicate using pheromones – chemical signals similar to hormones that trigger social or reproductive behaviors. This sense plays a vital role in mate selection, territory marking, and coordination within social groups. Social insects make extensive use of this ability to coordinate complex colonies and establish hierarchies.

Image: Franco Antonio Giovanella

The vestibular system, found in the inner ear of humans and most vertebrates, contributes to balance, spatial orientation, and sense of motion. This sense is made of two main components or specialized organs: semicircular canals that indicate rotation, and otoliths, which help perceive linear acceleration. This intricate sense helps us stay upright, perceive gravity, and coordinate movements, essential skills for activities like walking or running.

Image: Aron Visuals

While the subjective experience of time might not be associated with a specific sensory system, scientists seem to agree that there are a series of complementary mechanisms that allow humans to perceive the passing of time. In fact, some animals exhibit remarkable abilities to perceive temporal changes, a crucial ability for survival. It has even been suggested that smaller animals with a fast metabolic rate tend to experience time more slowly than larger species with slower metabolic rates.

Image: Marcus Löfvenberg

Certain animals, like the African elephant, possess incredibly sensitive pressure receptors called Pacinian corpuscles in their feet, which allow them to detect minute seismic vibrations and communicate over long distances. This acute sense of touch, paired with their exceptional hearing, plays a crucial role in social bonding, navigation, and detecting potential threats in their environment.

People remember stories

Your knuckles know more than you think: Here’s what they can tell you

You might forget where you left your keys or your glasses, but some things are forever imprinted in your memory one way or another. And for those things you simply can’t seem to remember, some useful mnemonic devices can help you. For example, how can you remember the presidents on our bills? And what about all the spelling rules our language has? Is it "gray" or "grey"? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading and learn a few tricks.

You may handle bills every single day, but can you answer whose face is on each one? You don’t need to remember; this mnemonic device will do it for you: The phrase "When Jeff Left Home, Jack Got Fat" gives you the answer. As you can notice, the first letter of each word stands for the last name of the president or founding father: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson, Grant, and Franklin.

Yes, we keep lots of calendars, but sometimes we have to double-check if a month has 30 or 31 days. Has this happened to you? If it has, next time you’ll want to use your knuckles. The rule is simple: Make two fists and count across your knuckles and the dips between them. Months that land on knuckles have 31 days. The dips are the shorter months, February being the shortest, naturally.

Have you ever had to try a few times before knowing whether you were loosening or tightening that screw? Well, with this rhythmic phrase, you won’t need to do that anymore. If you turn right, you’ll be making it tight. On the other hand, if you turn left, you’ll loosen it.

English spelling keeps everyone on their toes, and certain words have regional rules that make everything worse. Nobody can remember them all, so this device comes in handy. When you don’t know whether it is "gray" or "grey," think of it this way: Gray, with an A as in America. Grey, with an E, as in England.

"Necessary": This is another word with a spelling that can create a few problems. And the mnemonic device for this one is picturing a T-shirt. You know how a T-shirt has one "Collar" (that’s one C) and two Sleeves (that’s two S)? That’s it, spelling solved.

Back in school, memorizing the Great Lakes could feel like a geography pop quiz. Simply the word "HOMES" is a trick that many teachers share with their students. Why HOMES? Because each letter represents a lake: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and of course, Superior.

Just as with any other long list, remembering the order of the planets in our solar system is no piece of cake. But this fun phrase has the answer to your prayers, it’s not bout nachos, but about the names of the planets in order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

This one sounds like breakfast advice, but it’s actually a compass lesson. The first letters match the four cardinal directions in clockwise order: North, East, South, West. Many kids learned this one in school, and plenty of adults still repeat it quietly when trying to picture a map in their heads.

This may sound silly, but many people struggle to point left; most need more than just a second to figure out which one is actually left. But many have discovered something quite useful: hold up both your hands and use your thumb and index finger to do an "L." Can you see which one forms a clear letter? That’s left, of course.

Is this connected to the Constitution? Yes, it is. Civics teachers sometimes lean on this unusual sentence to remember the seven articles of the US Constitution. Each word stands for one: Legislative, Executive, Judicial, States, Amendment, Supremacy, and Ratification. Now you just have to remember this funny phrase.