First Year Seminar 191CNS37 - FYS-Secret Sensory Worlds

How do animals perceive their surroundings? In the ancient Greek philosopher Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," prisoners able to see only the dancing shadows of a flame neglect to consider the hidden objects that cast them. We, too, are forced to create our own representation of reality using a mere sliver of filtered information. The cleverest human, smallest fly, and grandest whale are all confined to their self-centered worlds crafted by the senses. In this class, we will exit Plato's Cave and explore our own senses to better understand the secret lives of animals. Along the way, we will stumble upon some peculiar abilities, like ghost knifefish that speak with electric pulses, and bats that listen to a sea of echoes.

First year (Fr or Soph)