It is an interesting item. The news reports I've heard are that the
observations show cattle aligned N/S except under HV power lines (I have not
yet read the article.) The conclusion that cattle align themselves with the
Earth's magnetic field at all is based on one assumption, that the alignment
is due to magnetic fields and not because (say) they're warming themselves in
the sunlight or some terrain influence. That power lines cause them to lose
the ability to sense magnetic fields is based on TWO assujmtions, and needs a
closer look.
If, as in some animals known to sense North, cattle do sense the magnetic
field by way of magnetite particles, and if those are small enough, it is
POSSIBLE they might no longer sense North due to the AC fields under power
lines moving those particles around.
I should apply for a grant to install inductors on a herd of cattle, and DC/AC
converters, so that I might selectively induce AC magnetic fields on selected
bovines and see if they fail to align with the herd.
Heh!
Cortland Richmond
KA5S.
----- Original Message -----
From: Price, Edward <mailto:[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: 3/17/2009 10:36:15 AM
Subject: RE: Interesting Article
________________________________
I wonder if the original study noticed if the cows were
aligning true North,
or if they were following the angle of declination and aligning with magnetic
North?
I would be more inclined to suspect that cows aligned with some
respect to
linear features of their local topography. As cows have not been selectively
bred for intelligence, they can be influenced by even a simple line painted on
the ground. ...
-
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