The strange senses of other species

The author describes how researchers are revealing how some animals use electric and magnetic fields to perceive their environs. Aside from the fascination of peering through gates of perception normally closed to human beings, scientists see practical spin-offs from research into these barely imaginable senses. For example, new ocean sensors modeled after the exquisitely sensitive electroreceptors of sharks could be a boon to ocean research and to the military. Research into magnetoreception could reveal, among other things, mechanisms through which electromagnetic fields might affect human health.