An Immense World by Ed Yong

An Immense World explores the many ways that animals perceive the world. It looks at how the senses that we share with other animals can differ between species, some species can only see in black and white, while others can perceive colours beyond the spectrum that humans can see. The human sense of smell is notoriously poor compared to that of many other species, such as dogs or elephants.

However, where this book probably becomes most interesting is in looking at the senses that other species have that humans entirely lack. For example, seals can follow the hydrodynamic wake (the swirling water currents created by the movement) of a fish from up to 200 metres away. Spiders' webs are effectively a clever extension of their senses, being sensitive to the movements of trapped prey. Bats and dolphins can navigate using echolocation, enabling them to avoid obstacles in dimly lit environments. The most powerful electric eel can incapacitate a horse.

As humans we experience the world in a uniquely human way and we cannot begin to imagine what it would really be like to experience the world in entirely different ways. Reading this book helps us to understand some aspects of what it would be like to perceive life differently. 

The book also looks at some of the ways in which human activities make life harder for many species - excess lighting at night fatally attracts insects and disorientates bats and migrating birds; noise pollution changes the way that birds communicate with each other and underwater noise affects how creatures such as dolphins can navigate. 

 

An Immense World by Ed Yong, published (2023) by Vintage