Freaky Phenomena: The Senses (PDF)

Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch are the five senses that that allow us to function in the world—and make our lives more enjoyable. Although some people are born blind or deaf, or lose one of their senses later in life, these individuals often find that their other senses become heightened to make up for the lack. Other people seem to have senses that are so sharp they are almost superhuman. There are people with amazing hearing, who can detect very, very soft sounds or high frequencies. While supertasters experience taste with much greater sensitivity than others, others may have sharp eyesight or even an ability to recall images from memory after only a few moments of exposure.Scientific studies have revealed a lot about how people acquire or inherit these super senses. The Senses explores ways that sight, taste, hearing, touch, and smell sometimes go way beyond normal to become extraordinary.PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Each title in this series contains a foreword by the Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, color photos throughout, and back matter that includes an index and further resource lists of books, films, and Internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series, encouraging library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content-rich nonfiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers can reference back to the definitions—building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos provide links via QR codes to online video content that gives a multimedia dimension to the topics. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader's knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.