Posted by Dr. Science on 06/05/2013 in
Question |
I’ve heard that pigeons “bob” their heads when they walk in order to help them see better. Could I expand my vision with a little “head bobbing”?
———- from Sydney Sloan of Mt. Shasta, CA
It depends on the nature of your visual afflictions. If you’re astigmatic, head bobbing only works when you’re upside down. Those who need bifocals can benefit from head bobbing only if they wear extended wear contact lenses and make barking noises with each head bob. Simple nearsightedness is unaffected by head movement, although some who suffer from migraine headaches have noticed that head bobbing makes those headaches worse. Only the farsighted seem to clearly benefit from the procedure, which then implies that they are somehow related to pigeons. Studies are now underway to see if farsighted humans can be taught to fetch french fries from trash cans.
