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The Coupling of Atmospheric Electromagnetic Fields

in the presence of dim red light had a signifcantly decreased pineal melatonin synthesis as compared to

unexposed control animals (Welker et al., 1983). Ten, James Olcese reported that, in both albino and

pigmented rats, melatonin synthesis was markedly inhibited following a single, 30-minutes exposure to

a static magnetic feld stimulus consisting of a 50° rotation of the earth’s horizontal geomagnetic feld

(Olcese and Reuss, 1986).

Sensitivity to the geomagnetic feld is widespread among reptiles and birds. Both behavioral and

neurophysiological evidence suggests that there might be two magnetoreception mechanisms present

in some vertebrates, one system functioning as a source of directional compass information and the

other providing a geographic position (“map”) information based on geomagnetic cues (Phillips and

Deutschlander, 1997).

Contrary to the perception of electric feld, no literature has been reported that human can detect

magnetic feld. For example, Schmitt and Tucker could not verify that human perceived magnetic feld

sensation with 0.7–1.5 mT, 60 Hz magnetic feld exposure (Tucker and Schmitt, 1978).

In the late 1970s, the human homing experiments have been carried out to test magnetic feld percep­

tion. Baker frst performed human homing experiments (1980, 1987). He made three experiments: walk­

abouts, bus experiments, and chair experiments. In walkabouts and bus experiments, subject students

with helmet (magnetic strength between 0.014 and 0.030 T) had been blindfolded, and transported by

bus over a route to a point 6–52 km from “a home site (Manchester University)” with changes of direc­

tion. Subjects were asked to indicate the direction of starting point. Baker found an overall ability to

name the compass courses to the starting point and to point in the respective direction. Although many

researchers tried to replicate the bus experiments, negative results were reported. In chair experiments,

the blindfolded subjects sat on a rotatable chair in the center of the large coil sets. Tis experiment also

showed a weak yet signifcant trend to name direction correctly (Wiltschko and Wiltschko, 1995). Two

claims gave the Baker’s experiment: One is in solving problems of orientation and navigation, humans

have access to some non-visual ability, and the second is at least, this non-visual ability involves magne­

toreception (Baker, 1987). Although many researchers attempted to replicate Baker’s fndings, they were

unsuccessful. Te controversy still continues. It is not easy to perform the perception of human. In 2019,

Kirschvink’s research group from California Institute of Technology co-operated with researcher of the

University of Tokyo opening new research result on human sense to magnetic feld equal to the strength

of geomagnetic felds (Wang et al., 2019). His group recorded brain activity on the scalp to search for

some response to changes in magnetic feld. Te 34 participants sat in testing chamber with record­

ing of EEG. Following magnetic stimulation, a drop in amplitude of EEG alpha-oscillations (8–13 Hz)

occurred in a repeatable manner. Alpha-ERD (alpha-event-related desynchronization) in response to

the geomagnetic fled was triggered only by horizontal rotations when the static vertical magnetic feld

was directed downwards. No brain responses were elicited by the same horizontal rotations when the

static vertical component was directed upwards. Tis test showed that the neural response was sensitive

to static components of the magnetic felds. Te neural response was also sensitive to the polarity of the

magnetic feld.

More interesting, apart from science, it has been suggested that very small special subsets of human

population show a signifcant ability to sense magnetic felds (König et al., 1981; Tromp, 1968). Dowser

belongs to this small special subset. Dowsing is known as diving rod (known as Wünschelrute, in

Germany). Dowsing may have originated in Germany in the sixteenth century. It was used in attempts

to fnd metals. Te point is that dowser responds to the variation of geomagnetic felds, the site of anom­

aly. Te original form of the dowsing was a forked wooden twig (Tromp, 1968). It was used originally to

fnd metals (Agricola, 1556). Te dowser walks over land with a forked wooden twig in his hands and

experiences at certain places a contraction of his forearm muscles, which forces the forked wooden twig

to turn either upwards or downwards. Now, it is said that dowsing is a pseudoscience.

Te other document to magnetic feld is the case of dances of honeybees on a horizontal comb. When

honey bees communicate the direction and distance to food to their companions, and when food source

is very close (within about 50 m), they make a simple circular movement of the whole body while they