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What is it like to be a bat?

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180 points adityaathalye | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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myrmidon ◴[] No.45126435[source]
Echolocation for humans 101:

Close eyes, make short impulse-like noise (tapping of feet can be sufficient, or snip fingers), and move slowly.

You will find that not running into walls is pretty easy.

Feedback, to me, feels like light pressure on my face. But this sense can be trained a lot; object detection and mapping your proximity is feasible for trained humans, and presumably changes the perception.

replies(1): >>45127280 #
1. IAmBroom ◴[] No.45127280[source]
Our hearing is more sensitive than we give it credit for being.

We used to play a game in my dojo where we'd toss a "knife" (wooden) around in a circle, as if sending it to an ally. Yes, you could throw it in a way that can't be caught... but then the person picks it up and chooses how to throw it back. You learn quickly not to be a dick about it.

Naturally, we were trying to get better at catching, and eventually moved to a trust version, where I shout "Go!" as I throw the knife. Turns out you can hear the knife leaving someone's hands more reliably than they can shout "Go!" on time.