The seeds for the discovery of sharks and rays’ ability to detect electromagnetic fields were sown in 1935, completely by accident. Sven Dijkgraaf observed that a shark he was studying would flinch in disgust or pain after encountering a rusty wire, despite never touching it. More than 30 years later, Adrianus “Ad” Kalmijn revisited this observation and conducted experiments on multiple shark and ray species. In his experiments, he discovered that special pores (called the ampullae of Lorenzini) granted the creatures the ability to detect their prey using electromagnetic fields. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
