Popular Mechanics (South Africa)
Animal magnetism
Sentient is a book that explores the world around us, through the eyes (and ears, and
noses) of animals. ‘Jackie Higgins’s lyrical, literate style will charm you while her book stuns your imagination with strange, otherworldly truths.’ – Richard Dawkins
LET’S JUST TAKE A moment to consider the harlequin mantis shrimp, a small marine crustacean that would barely fit in the palm of your hand. Yet, incredibly, and in spite of its size, it can throw a punch so powerful it would fracture the reinforced glass of an aquarium. But that’s not its only defining factor: It has 16 different kinds of photoreceptors – more than any other animal in the world. The human retina, by comparison, has four, and with those we see millions of colours. Can you imagine what the shrimps sees?
It’s mind-boggling what the animal kingdom can teach us, and Jackie Higgins has set out to do just that in her popularscience book Sentient. In a nutshell, the book is a celebration of the animal kingdom. Each of the chapters introduces an interesting animal or two – some unfamiliar, others more common – and gives us insight into these unique creatures.
But Sentient is more than just a combination of unusual facts. Higgins sees zoology as a mirror to understanding ourselves, what the human body is capable of. She delves into what animals can teach us about sensing ourselves and where science is heading. Take the great grey owl, for example. While many are fascinated by the soundless flight of owls, what’s even more interesting is their hearing. The great grey owl’s ear canals are surprisingly similar to our own, yet the tiny sound-sensing hairs in our canals cannot regenerate after being damaged (or, as we age). The owl’s do and scientists are studying this as a potential way to restore lost hearing.
Another animal discussed in the book is the extraordinary star-nosed mole. It has 22 fleshy appendages surrounding its snout, making it the most touchsensitive mammal – imagine six times the sensitivity of your hand jammed into one finger! But there’s more – the star-nosed mole is the fastest forager, and the quickest killer. What we’ve learnt from this mole is sensory mapping, expanding on how Helen Keller primarily used touch to navigate through life, and that noses aren’t simply for smelling.
Animals are miraculous, and Sentient provides a beautiful, accessible (and sometimes freaky) perspective on the natural world. It’s a book that will change the way you think about what it is to be human. It’ll also remind you to never pick a fight with a shrimp.