Bats See Through Their Ears

Actually, it is not the light which forms the images. Light strikes the screen of our eyes and the light causes the eyes to produce electrochemical signals which are then conducted to the brain by nerves and then it is the brain which forms images.

We, human beings and many other animals which bear the light reading apparatus – called the eye generally takes up the messages triggered by light to the brain and in the brain is formed the image of the world around us. The eyes read reflected light from the non-luminous objects and direct light from the luminous ones.

But what about bats at night? Though many bats have working eyes but they don’t do their job at night and their job is done by their highly tuned ears. They produce high frequency sounds (called ultrasonic sounds) then the sound waves are reflected by the objects around them which are then picked up by their ears (human ears can not hear these sounds). Their ears then convert these sound waves into electrochemical signals which are taken up by the nerves to the brain. Then, the brain forms the map of the world around bats (echolocation). Isn’t it seeing through ears?

The image of the world which forms in the brain of a bat at night due to sound waves may not be like the image I am or you are imagining right now, but it is indeed an image with the help of which the bat navigates through the dark woods and catch its flying preys.

There may be other physical entities like sound or light to receive or read which our bodies may be lacking the sense organs. If we lacked eyes or ears, we wouldn’t be able to see or hear but the light and sound waves would have existed nonetheless.

A religious person would argue the realm of his/ her god may also be existing but beyond our sense perception. I would not totally deny the existence of such a world, but I personally find it utterly unnecessary to try to comprehend in vain a world for which no evidence exists and is inexplicable by reason. It is indeed a futility for me to sing the praise of such a fantastic world all my life sacrificing my precious time in which I could love, laugh and live.