Interesting that they don't know exactly how they are perceiving magnetism. I suppose it could be an internal brain mechanism, but if that were to be able to operate without direct outside sensory input, there might be all kinds of other potential latent abilities in animals.<p>More likely, this might be the same as the mechanism which exists in birds, who can effectively see the Earth's magnetic field in their eyes, although an internal magnetic detection system present in animals would be much more interesting. See <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2019.0295" rel="nofollow">https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2019.029...</a>. Birds essentially perceive the Earth's magnetic field through a chemical process in the receptors for red and green light in their eyes, and are believed to have special cells in their beak, brain stem, and possibly their vestibular system as well. It can be disrupted fairly easy by magnetism or different wavelengths of light.<p>There are obvious other strange implications of this as well, although I'm not sure how much real evidence there is to support them. For instance, there are many concerns about the effects of EMF exposure, as well as that EMF can affect plant life. There is research on magnetic and electric brain stimulation as well. At the most out-there level, there is the research into remote viewing and things like telepathy. So, to whatever extent this actually exists, there are interesting implications for the phenomenological experience of other forms of animal life.<p>Regardless, it is interesting to see research that is actually showing new and intriguing things regarding different forms of perception (I guess this is arguably ESP, or at least a new sense) that are not complete crank nonsense. I've always felt like my sense of direction was a sort of 6th sense; I guess it really could be.