What kinds of sense organs can nature evolve?

H. John Caulfield

doi:10.1117/12.564557

1 November 2004 What kinds of sense organs can nature evolve?

H. John Caulfield

Proceedings Volume 5555, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology VIII; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.564557
Event: Optical Science and Technology, the SPIE 49th Annual Meeting, 2004, Denver, Colorado, United States

Abstract

I argue that much can be said about vision systems in general without invoking any particular instances Should astrobiology be lucky enough to encounter moderately advanced alien creatures (think salamanders not people), we will be able to understand their vision systems, however odd, as special cases of a very general procedure that any complex animal or system must use to operate in its world . Indeed, it is possible to illustrate that hypothesis with terrestrial examples of very weird visual systems that humans have created for animals. Also, many 21st Century machines exhibit primitive visual perception.

Citation Download Citation

H. John Caulfield "What kinds of sense organs can nature evolve?", Proc. SPIE 5555, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology VIII, (1 November 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.564557

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