Title |
Polarisation vision: overcoming challenges of working with a property of light we barely see
|
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Published in |
The Science of Nature, March 2018
|
DOI | 10.1007/s00114-018-1551-3 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
James J. Foster, Shelby E. Temple, Martin J. How, Ilse M. Daly, Camilla R. Sharkey, David Wilby, Nicholas W. Roberts |
Abstract |
In recent years, the study of polarisation vision in animals has seen numerous breakthroughs, not just in terms of what is known about the function of this sensory ability, but also in the experimental methods by which polarisation can be controlled, presented and measured. Once thought to be limited to only a few animal species, polarisation sensitivity is now known to be widespread across many taxonomic groups, and advances in experimental techniques are, in part, responsible for these discoveries. Nevertheless, its study remains challenging, perhaps because of our own poor sensitivity to the polarisation of light, but equally as a result of the slow spread of new practices and methodological innovations within the field. In this review, we introduce the most important steps in designing and calibrating polarised stimuli, within the broader context of areas of current research and the applications of new techniques to key questions. Our aim is to provide a constructive guide to help researchers, particularly those with no background in the physics of polarisation, to design robust experiments that are free from confounding factors. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 6 | 24% |
United States | 6 | 24% |
Germany | 2 | 8% |
Sweden | 2 | 8% |
Norway | 1 | 4% |
Unknown | 8 | 32% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 14 | 56% |
Scientists | 10 | 40% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 4% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 91 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 23 | 25% |
Researcher | 14 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 13 | 14% |
Student > Master | 6 | 7% |
Student > Postgraduate | 3 | 3% |
Other | 8 | 9% |
Unknown | 24 | 26% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 26 | 29% |
Neuroscience | 9 | 10% |
Physics and Astronomy | 6 | 7% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 5 | 5% |
Computer Science | 4 | 4% |
Other | 15 | 16% |
Unknown | 26 | 29% |