BBC Focus Magazine

[erykpilat]

Could mankind ever develope a 6th sense. Any ideas or hipothesis?

[M Paul Lloyd]

Possibly, but only if circumstances made it advantageous to do so.

On the other hand you could argue that we already have achieved a form of sixth sense in the form of telecommunications just like the one we are using now, or a mobile phone. Yes it requires technology but then again we evolved the ability to create that technology therefore it is part of our evolution and as a result allows us to communicate with people right across the world.
And that, I reckon is one really cool ability/sixth sense we didn't have when I was ten years old.

[Shadowwolf]

Depends what you mean by 6th sense.

[The Beige Avenger]

The 5 senses came to be known as such as a result of some kind of desire for symmetry / perfection in that they relate to the "5 elements" (Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Aether).

We have more than the 5 senses you'd think we have...

The 5: Sight, Hearing, Touch, Smell, Taste.

But... we also have sensors designed for pain & heat, separate from "touch" along with a sense of balance and an "inner" sense which is trained in some meditation (a kind of kinaesthetic feel).

So, we have more than 6 senses already!

[Colm]

We have loads of them! The sense of being electrocuted, the sense of moving (neither of these are touch, by the way). Also you could argue that the sense of hearing is like a vvvveerrrrrryyyy sensitive version of touch.

[...]

Edwin hubble wrote"equipped with his five senses, man expolres the universe around him and calls the adventure science"
Neil de'grasse tyson, in his brilliant book"death by black hole", updated the quote to "equipped with his five senses, along with telescopes, microscopes, mass spectrometers, seismographs, magnetometers, particle accelerators and detectors across the electromagnetic spectrum man expolres the universe around him and calls the adventure science " we are developing our senses all the time

[The Beige Avenger]

We have loads of them! The sense of being electrocuted,.....

That'd be a pretty neat trick... seeing as how you'd be dead.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Mild electric socks... no?

[Ush]

Somatosensory system consists of the receptors, transmitters (pathways) leading to S1, and S1 that experiences the sensations labelled as touch or pressure, temperature (warm or cold), pain (including itch and tickle), and the sensations of muscle movement and joint position including posture, movement, and facial expression (collectively also called proprioception).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_system

[The Beige Avenger]

..my remark referred to "electrocution" actually meaning "death by electric shock".

[M Paul Lloyd]

I'm with you now Mr.A.

[Ush]

The four elements look like early, unrefined concepts of the states of matter.

Air = gas; liquid = water; fire = plasma; earth = solid.

Water would have been the most common liquid known, perhaps only known, of the day which would give rise to the element being named "water", and so on for the other "elements"/phases of matter.

[The Beige Avenger]

aether for the 5th element.

No Jovovich in sight... although she is a pleasant sight indeed.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Indeed she is.

[nemisis39]

i'd prefer her without the white tape but thats just my preferance