Sensitivity of Planaria to Weak, Patterned Electric Current and the Subsequent Correlative Interactions with Fluctuations in the Intensity of the Magnetic Field of Earth

Victoria Hossack, Michael Persinger and Blake Dotta
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Victoria Hossack: Behavioral Neuroscience, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
Michael Persinger: Behavioral Neuroscience, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
Blake Dotta: Behavioral Neuroscience, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada

J, 2020, vol. 3, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Some species of fish show highly evolved mechanisms by which they can detect exogenous electric and magnetic fields. The detection of electromagnetic fields has been hypothesized to exist in humans, despite the lack of specialized sensors. In this experiment, planaria were tested in a t-maze with weak electric current pulsed in one arm to determine if the planaria showed any indication of being able to detect it. It was found that a small proportion of the population seemed to be attracted to this current. Additionally, if the experiment was preceded by a geomagnetic storm, the planaria showed a linear correlation increase in the variability of their movement in response to the presence of the weak electric field. Both of these results indicate that a subpopulation of planaria show some ability to respond to electromagnetic fields.

Keywords: flatworm; geomagnetic storms; Ap index; electroreception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 I10 I12 I13 I14 I18 I19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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