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Humans can detect the earth’s magnetic fields
- A new study, published in the journal eNeuro, has claimed thathuman brain is unconsciously capable of detecting the Earth’s magnetic field. The study is in contrast to other studies which had showed that humans are not magnetically sensitive organisms.
- The sense which allows an organism to detect and respond to earth’s geomagnetic field is called magnetoreception. This sense is used by a number of animals for orientation and navigation.
- The Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field, generated by the movement of the liquid core. The flowing of liquid metal in the outer core of the earth generates electric currents. The rotation of Earth on its axis causes these electric currents to form a magnetic field which extends around the planet.
- Earth’s magnetic field extends from the Earth’s interior to where it meets the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun.