Maverick scientist thinks he has discovered a magnetic sixth sense in humans

Birds do it. Bees do it. But the human subject, standing here in a hoodie—can he do it? Joe Kirschvink is determined to find out. For decades, he has shown how critters across the animal kingdom navigate using magnetoreception, or a sense of Earth’s magnetic field. Now, the geophysicist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena is testing humans to see if they too have this subconscious sixth sense. Kirschvink is pretty sure they do. But he has to prove it.

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How to test this?

Have a thousand people see if they can find magnetic north?

CrazyNeutrino said:

How to test this?

Have a thousand people see if they can find magnetic north?

That was already tested in England. Only with a dozen or so volunteers. They released people in much the same way as homing pigeons. They couldn’t find north.

CrazyNeutrino said:

How to test this?

Have a thousand people see if they can find magnetic north?

Surely, if humans had any sensitivity to magnetic fields, then this would be made clear to MRI patients.

i’m charismagnetic

mollwollfumble said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

How to test this?

Have a thousand people see if they can find magnetic north?

That was already tested in England. Only with a dozen or so volunteers. They released people in much the same way as homing pigeons. They couldn’t find north.

Why would one assume that magnetic sensitivity would comply to this application? AFAIU, human sensitivity to EM centres on distinguishing charged objects in the near environment with the ability to distinguish when an object is focusing on the subject or another.