At a nature center, Rocket and Raven watch a great horned owl perched in dim light.
A keeper crinkles a paper bag across the room. The owl's head swivels toward the sound in a flash.
"It found that sound so fast," Rocket whispers. "Even in the dark!"
Raven studies the owl's round, flat face. "What do you notice about the shape of its face?"
Nova keeps very still and quiet. "Interesting," she whispers. "That face might be more than a face."
In your eyes, the retina turns light into electrical signals. The optic nerve carries them to your brain.
In your ears, sound makes the eardrum vibrate. Tiny hair cells turn the vibrations into electrical signals.
The hearing nerve carries those signals to your brain. Your brain turns them into sounds you understand.
Owls have amazing hearing. One ear is higher than the other, so owls can tell if a sound is above or below.
An owl's flat facial disk works like a funnel. It collects sounds and sends them to its hidden ears.
Owls can hunt by sound alone. They can find a mouse hiding under leaves or snow.
Eyes and ears both turn information into electrical signals.
Eyes use the retina to turn light into signals.
Ears use tiny hair cells to turn vibrations into signals.
Either way, nerves carry the signals to the brain.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Owls can hunt by sound alone. | ? |
| An owl's ears are at exactly the same height. | ? |
| The retina turns light into electrical signals. | ? |
| An owl can find a mouse under snow. | ? |
You followed signals from eyes and ears today. Tomorrow you test how fast your own signals travel!