Smells and Bells

“it is both our panic and our privilege to be mortal and sense-full. We live on the leash of our senses" (xvii)  Roses in the water to reference Ackerman's section on the smell of roses.  Our sensations have been intrinsic in our human survival and experience and have probably changed and evolved over time. What once was integral for survival and the continuation of the species is now what shapes our human experience. According to Ackerman, our senses both limit and restrain us in our interpretations and understandings of the world in a way that isn't cerebral. Looking at animals and analyzing their senses gives us an idea of what our senses could have been. What’s the importance of the interplay between animalistic senses and our own and how much can we learn from them? Some things, in my opinion can be learned, but it must be noted that animals and humans (both actually animals) evolved and adapted in different ways that ultimately best suited them fo...

                                          In big bold letters in my notebook from Professor Kirkpatrick's visit is the phrase "DETECTION TO PERCEPTION TO INTERPRETATION," which is basically a map of how our brains process the input from our senses so that they can be responded to. Detection and perception are biologically fascinating, but I'm more interested in interpretation, because it is the step where value is decided -- if a scent, taste, touch, etc is good or bad. The perception of a sensory experience is important for this judgement, but all perception is colored by interpretation. The example professor Kirkpatrick used was smoke. In most cases, it would be most advantageous for the smell of smoke to trigger a danger response. However, this is not my response. I smell smoke as I walk through the my neighborhood or the nearby woods and my nostrils flair. I am ...