| The world is known to us through many
senses, not just hearing, smell, vision, and at close range, touch and
taste. Our skins let us know whether the air is moist or dry, whether surfaces are wet without being sticky or slippery. From the uniformity of slight pressure, we can be aware how deeply a finger is thrust into water at body temperature, even if the finger is enclosed in a rubber glove that keeps the skin completely dry. Many other animals, with highly sensitive skins, appear to be able to learn still more about their environment. Often they do so without employing any of the five senses. By observing the capabilities of other members of the animal kingdom, we come to realize that a human being has far more possibilities than are utilized. We neglect ever so many of our senses in concentrating on the five major ones. At the same time, a comparison between animals and man draws attention to the limitations of each sense. The part of the spectrum(光谱)seen by color-conscious man as red is non-existent for honey-bees. But a bee can see far more in flowers than we, because the ultra-violet(紫外线)to which our eyes are blind is a stimulating(刺激的)part of the insect's spectrum, and, for honeybees at least, constitutes a separate color. |