Las Cruces Writer and biologist Fenton Kay is at it again, teaching the child in all of us about the biology of sensory systems in his new children’s book, What If I Had The Eyes of a Cat or The Ears of a Bat? Now available on Lulu, the book takes me back to Thomas Nagel’s classic paper, “What is it Like to be a Bat.” that kicked off a greater appreciation of the conundrum of phenomenal conscious experience. Only now, I have to imagine not just holographic sonic terrain maps, but also enhanced night vision as I stalk through the tall grass. The child within me is fascinated!
Here’s a synopsis:
…Children are fascinated by how the natural world works. This book introduces sensory biology at a preschooler or kindergartener level. The story is about a boy and his grandfather, but it could be a girl and her grandmother. It depends on who is reading the book and for whom.