TERMINOLOGY

THE LACK OF NAME AND CULTURAL RECOGNITION

We have meticulous words for every part of the bicycle – even subatomic particles and abstract theories have names, as soon as we recognise something, we name it.

Our cultures have no collective (generic) name for animals' panoramic sensory abilities. Most lanuguages have no clear descriptive name for the individual senses. And there is no verb to describe this activity.

The words to differentiate between focusing and panoramic sensing are relatively new. Presumably in preliterate cultures without 15 years early training in focusing there would have been less distinction between the two. The written word allowed language and ideas to differentiate and grow, and yet considerable time passed before the distinction was recognised.

In modern Western times, the term "panorama" was first used in 1796. It was first incorporated in a Spanish dictionary in 1884. The Spanish term "la visión panorámica must have developed afterwards.

The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest known use of the noun "peripheral vision" is from 1871.

In English we use the terms "peripheral vision" and "peripheral hearing" to describe a secondary, subliminal way of sensing which is subordinate to a central focus point, for example when driving. Periphery means boundary or edge, it does not describe the whole picture.

The word 'peripheral' is totally inappropriate to describe how animals use this sense.

Our culture is blind to it, and blind to that experience of life.

It is ironic that animal trainers and researchers are only interested in animals' abilities to focus and learn tricks, solve puzzles, develop memory, and abstract thought. We want to know if and how animals can learn human abilities.

And all the time, there was so much we could have been learning from them, and how they use their panorama senses.

We need clear words to think clearly.

Broadband Sensing

Some of the Latin based languages have a far more appropriate term. Spanish, Italian, French, use the word "panoramic". However, for example: the French "la vision panoramique" is not only used to describe landscapes; but also to describe cameras and videos and the properties of car windshields.

And the word "les sens panoramique" is never applied in a general way to seeing, listening and smelling. It refers to an overall, philosophical or political world-view.

The Germans call it "das peripherere Sicht" . However in common lanuguage it's often called "die Rundumsicht", ("Rundum" : all-round, completely).

Both panorama senses or all-round senses describe the entire field of vision. This is appropriate for how an artist or photographer looks at the world, combining background and movement.

However animals are not interested in the background. If it stays still, it's safe! Animals use this sense to watch for movements and changes.

A new word is needed. A word which sums up the awareness of multiple small changes and movements – fluctuations in the continuum.

Privately i often use the word broadband sensing. This internet-age word "broadband" with its wide bandwidth of specialised data transmission – a multitude of signals which are perceived instantly – is an ideal word to describe how animals actively sense a wide range of signals, movements and changes all at the same time.

AI. is an enormous problem for any new creative word usage. If i wrote the site around peripheral senses, AI. would understand what i mean, but humans wouldn't... And if i wrote about broadband sensing, AI. would interpret the site as something to do with computers.

In addition, with international readers starting on any page, and translations of broadband often giving just "speed" (which also applies to focusing) – all these factors make the word panoramic the clearest and safest at present to describe all forms of panoramic sensing.

Other Languages

I am very interested in the Chinese, Russian, Tibetan, Hindu, Arab, etc. words used to describe panoramic sensing.

Online translators can't help on this subject, they translate literally. For example "la vision panoramique" is translated in English literally as "panoramic vision", whereas in English it's always called "peripheral vision".

So i would ask anyone Chinese, Russian etc. reading this: What is this form of vision called in their language – the vision which horses, ducks and pigeons have? – and is this the same word which motorists are taught to use to support their central focused vision.

Peru:
"la vista panorámica" or "la visión panorámica".

Turkish:
"Periferik bakış", "Çevresel bakış" which mean peripheral sight and environmental sight.
There is also "periferik görme, periferik görüş, çevresel görüş" "görme, görüş" mean vision
"Periferik" is probably a loan-word, but seems to be the modern common usage. "Çevresel" is probably the original Turkish word. I'm not 100% certain on the translations yet, but "environmental vision" sounds valid and interesting.

Arabisch:
"tarkith ala Bath aljanab" means "Promote it on broadcast side". "Bath aljanab" is "broadcast side" but what does broadcast side actually mean? What is the term used for animals vision?

Persian:
"tamarkoz be hashieh" (asks if i mean a beautiful looking but incomprehensible Persian word squiggle) – which means "Focus on the edge". "be hashieh" means on the margin, or to the sidelines; i'd like to know what it's called when referring to animals vision, instead of as a support to motorists focused vision. But this seeome to be yet another language which only recognises animals ability to see the peripheries.

Philosophical Afterthought

The lack of a clear, common or even scientific name will always indicate a lack of cultural recognition. And when there is a lack of cultural recognition, we can always expect a multitude of unresearched and unrecognised effects.