Birds Have a Mysterious 'Quantum Sense'. For The First Time, Scientists Saw It...

Birds Have a Mysterious 'Quantum Sense'. For The First Time, Scientists Saw It in Action

Mike McRae

Now, for the first time ever, scientists from the University of Tokyo have directly observed a key reaction hypothesised to be behind birds', and many other creatures', talents for sensing the direction of the planet's poles.

Importantly, this is evidence of quantum physics directly affecting a biochemical reaction in a cell – something we've long hypothesised but haven't seen in action before. 

Using a tailor-made microscope sensitive to faint flashes of light, the team watched a culture of human cells containing a special light-sensitive material respond dynamically to changes in a magnetic field. The change the researchers observed in the lab match just what would be expected if a quirky quantum effect was responsible for the illuminating reaction.