Can humans detect the Earth's weak magnetic field much like some animals, protists, and bacteria? A group of researchers seemed to have found concrete evidence that the human magnetic sense indeed exists.
In our new study, we asked 34 participants simply to sit in our testing chamber while we directly recorded electrical activity in their brains with electroencephalography (EEG).
Our modified Faraday cage included a set of 3-axis coils that let us create controlled magnetic fields of high uniformity via electric current we ran through its wires.
In the experiment, the researchers silently shifted the magnetic field and observed the EEG data. It showed that there were some magnetic field rotations which triggered brain responses.
(Image credit: Jaypee/Wikimedia Commons)
