I've stated before that the problem with wind turbines and birds is that birds have not yet evolved to handle spinning wind turbine blades. Sure they can dodge tree branches spinning in the wind, but those tree branches don't typically spin around in a circle to come back and bat them out of the sky, rather they swing back and forth like a pendulum. In that case the birds could easily dodge those blades. So, do we redesign the wind turbines or wait for subsequent generations of migratory birds to evolve to easily dodge these turbine blades.
Okay so, maybe we might address this issue as there is a new study which is quite intriguing that might shed some light on how these birds may someday evolve to deal with spinning blades. There was an interesting article in Science Daily on March 21, 2012 titled; " Seeing Movement: Why the World in Our Head Stays Still When We Move Our Eyes," which stated;
"When observing a fly buzzing around the room, we should have the impression that it is not the fly, but rather the space that lies behind it that is moving. After all, the fly is always fixed in our central point of view. But how does the brain convey the impression of a fly in motion in a motionless field?" and "The two areas of the brain that are particularly good at reacting to external movements, even during eye movements, are known as V3A and V6. They are located in the upper half in the posterior part of the brain."
Now then, this is how the human brain does it, and since the birds can't dodge the spinning wind turbine systems, obviously their brains are wired similarly, albeit simpler. Interestingly enough, one challenge I'd put out to those designing optical flow sensors for MAVs or micro-air vehicles was to have them work in reverse. Rather than the object or small RC sized aircraft moving as per the sensor reading as is how most optical flow sensors work (See: Centeye - Geoffrey Barrows work), we merely have it work backwards as if the world is moving and the aircraft is stationary.
Apparently, birds of prey fall victim to these wind turbine blades, why? Because their brains are so similarly wired, were as perhaps some of the other species of birds are not. See that point. If brain-damaged birds without those areas of their brains full-developed are living in the regions near wind turbines, then chances are they will be able to negotiate the spinning blades, or they will need to have a slight change to do both types of viewing, switching back and forth between different parts of their brains.
Humans can do this sometimes, often when impaired, or under extreme focus, perhaps you've had that slow motion effect during extreme sporting events with adrenal glands pumping and a heightened state of awareness? It will be interesting to see if the birds can adapt as humans negate their importance in the environment and continue to put up more wind farms, if not they will die. Such is nature, adapt and evolve or die - it's always been a contest nature versus the environment. Please consider all this and think on it.
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