Robin Baker Research Articles

Magnetoreception: An exciting field of challenges, hopes, wishes and beyond

The ability of animals to sense the geomagnetic field and perceive guidance cues for orientation and navigation has been a subject of lively debate since the beginning. A wealth of behavioral evidences has been accumulated and several sophisticated theoretical models including electromagnetic induction, ferrimagnetism, radical pairs model based on cryptochrome and biocompass model based on MagR and MagR/Cry protein complex have been proposed. However, the mechanism of magnetoreception remains largely unknown up to date, and thus exciting. How do migratory organisms find their way has been listed by Science as one of 125 most compelling scientific questions that cannot currently be answered, but are on the horizon. Here in this historical review, we firstly focused on examining the magnetoreception research throughout the last two centuries emerged in the literatures. We then reviewed the four major hypotheses behind this scientific mystery, and highlighted pros and cons of each hypothesis. We also discussed that if it was possible that a universal mechanism can be applied to explain all questions in animal magnetoreception, from the perspective of biodiversity and evolution. One of the heated controversies in magnetoreception is that can human navigate by sensing the geomagnetic field? We explored the research history of human magnetoreception in this review. The question can be traced back to 1873 when Charles Darwin wrote a letter to Nature , arguing that animals including human have the “instinct” to navigate. Then after almost 100 years, Robin Baker claimed to find a human compass sense of magnetic field in “Manchester Experiments” in Science in 1980, but the replication efforts all failed for more than 30 years by other groups. This controversy topic was then re-visited in 2019 and two groups published results suggesting many humans are able to unconsciously detect changes in Earth-strength magnetic fields, which raised more questions in this field. Putting the research history into perspective, we then discussed the unique features of biological magnetoreception, the approaches currently used in this field, the challenges we were facing and the possible solutions. We listed the contradictions in four current major models to explain the mechanism of biological magnetic sensing, and why the controversies could happen. We proposed that the pattern to perceive magnetic field should be regarded as “massive event”, since all molecules/receptors would respond to the changes of external magnetic field spontaneously, which was fundamentally different than the “single event” pattern when a chemical ligand binding to its receptor. We argue that a better understanding of the differences between magnetoreception and other sensory systems would help us to resolve this scientific mystery in the future.

Hollow Men, Strange Women: Riddles, Codes and Otherness in the Book of Judges, written by Robin Baker, 2016

Hollow Men, Strange Women: Riddles, Codes and Otherness in the Book of Judges, written by Robin Baker, 2016

Book Reviews : Tools of the Trade: A Health and Safety Handbook for Action. By Pamela Tau Lee, Robin Baker, and Gene Darling. Berkeley, CA: Labor Occupational Health Program, University of California, 2006. 174 pp. $25 paper

Book Reviews : Tools of the Trade: A Health and Safety Handbook for Action. By Pamela Tau Lee, Robin Baker, and Gene Darling. Berkeley, CA: Labor Occupational Health Program, University of California, 2006. 174 pp. $25 paper

Human Sperm Competition: Copulation, Masturbation, and Infidelity, R. Robin Baker and Mark A. Bellis, London and New York: Chapman and Hall, 1995, 376 pp. US$78.95 cloth. ISBN 0-412-45430-0. Chapman and Hall, 115 Fifth Ave., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10003-1004, USA.

Human Sperm Competition: Copulation, Masturbation, and Infidelity, R. Robin Baker and Mark A. Bellis, London and New York: Chapman and Hall, 1995, 376 pp. US$78.95 cloth. ISBN 0-412-45430-0. Chapman and Hall, 115 Fifth Ave., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10003-1004, USA. - Volume 16 Issue 2

Women behaving badly

James is waiting for Sally to return home from London, where she has been presenting a paper. Not only is he able to fork pasta into his mouth while working on a thesis, without spilling any on to the keyboard of his laptop, but, we are told: “Down below his testicles are going into metabolic overdrive.” Fortunately for the multitalented James he is unaware of these tumultuous events in his trousers, which will ensure that next time he makes love with Sally, he will ejaculate 700 million sperm into her vagina rather than the normal 200-400 million. Abstinence doesn't enter into this particular equation either, as Channel 4's programme explains. According to Robin Baker and Mark Bellis of the University of Manchester, James is automatically compensating for Sally's possible infidelity. By keeping her “topped up” …

The joy of sex

Human Sperm Competition: Copulation, Masturbation and Infidelity. By R. Robin Baker and Mark A. Bellis Chapman and Hall: 1994. Pp. 353. £45, $60.. The Difference Between the Sexes. Edited byR. V. Short and E. Balaban Cambridge University Press: 1994. Pp. 479. £55, $100 (hbk); £19.95, $29.95.

INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Design Management Journal (Former Series)Volume 4, Issue 2 p. 44-47 INTELLIGENT DESIGN Robin Baker, Robin Baker Professor Robin Baker is Director of Visual Computing at the Royal College of Art, London. He lectures in the USA and Europe, and consults widely to industry on the strategic use of computing in design. His current work includes projects for the Design Museum, Design Council, Marks & Spencer, Courtaulds, and Coats Viyella.Search for more papers by this author Robin Baker, Robin Baker Professor Robin Baker is Director of Visual Computing at the Royal College of Art, London. He lectures in the USA and Europe, and consults widely to industry on the strategic use of computing in design. His current work includes projects for the Design Museum, Design Council, Marks & Spencer, Courtaulds, and Coats Viyella.Search for more papers by this author First published: Spring 1993 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7169.1993.tb00136.x AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume4, Issue2Spring 1993Pages 44-47 RelatedInformation

The sensory bases of animal navigation

What mechanisms enable many animals to navigate so successfully? The sun plays a leading role and some species can clearly use terrestrial magnetism. However Robin Baker's proposal (see Phys. Tech. 1984 15 30-6) that mankind also possesses this ability seems increasingly unlikely.

Bird Navigation: The Solution of a Mystery?R. Robin Baker

Previous articleNext article No AccessNew Biological BooksBird Navigation: The Solution of a Mystery? R. Robin Baker Frank R. MooreFrank R. Moore Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 60, Number 4Dec., 1985 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/414686 Copyright 1985 Stony Brook Foundation, Inc.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Bird Migration: The Solution of a Mystery?, by R. Robin Baker [Review

Bird Migration: The Solution of a Mystery?, by R. Robin Baker [Review

Human Navigation and the Sixth Sense.R. Robin Baker

Previous articleNext article No AccessNew Biological BooksHuman Navigation and the Sixth Sense. R. Robin Baker Sidney A. Gauthreaux, Jr.Sidney A. Gauthreaux, Jr. Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 58, Number 1Mar., 1983 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/413195 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright 1983 Stony Brook Foundation, Inc.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Human Navigation and the Sixth Sense. R. Robin Baker. 138 pages, 79 illustrations; Hodder & Stoughton, 1981, London; hardback £8.95; paperback £4.95.

Human Navigation and the Sixth Sense. R. Robin Baker. 138 pages, 79 illustrations; Hodder & Stoughton, 1981, London; hardback £8.95; paperback £4.95.

Studying Migration The Mystery of Migration Robin Baker

Studying Migration The Mystery of Migration Robin Baker

Human Navigation and the Sixth Sense

R Robin Baker 1981 Kent: Hodder and Stoughton 138 pp price £8.95 (£4.95 paperback) Many readers must have been as excited as I at the account in New Scientist last year of Robin Baker's recent work. He described several experiments whose inescapable conclusions seemed to be that humans, like some other animals, have an ability to react to the direction of the earth's field.

The mystery of migration, ed. Robin Baker [Review

The mystery of migration, ed. Robin Baker [Review

Book review

Book review in this articleThe Evolutionary Ecology of Animal Migration R. Robin Baker.