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In many videos, both by makers and commercial companies alike, such as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHJMKOzLnIA

The claim is made that by using a gadget that makes you 'feel' where north is by vibrating on the north side of your body (multiple implementations exist), you will eventually gain a "new sense" of where north is without noticing the actual stimulus anymore.

The video does 'cite' a study from a "university in Germany", but no actual sources are provided. Does this study exist, and if so, to what extent is it applicable to this specific project? What does it actually say? Is any other research available that this actually works?

JasonR
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Ben
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    Yes, it's called being aware of the sun. –  Jan 07 '17 at 20:43
  • @fredsbend Although slightly humorous, it ignores nights and tests with eyes shut. I'll take a look at this claim, it's interesting. – daraos Jan 07 '17 at 20:47
  • @fredsbend Tried this while sailing in arctic summer. Going straight north towards the sun sure felt weird. – Posipiet Jan 07 '17 at 20:52
  • @Ben do you count a sense reliant on technical augmentation as innate? – Posipiet Jan 07 '17 at 20:55
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    @daraos: I don't know whether it's a 'sense', or just awareness of input from other senses, but it seems that in a natural environment, and even in most buildings, I'm pretty well aware of where north is. – jamesqf Jan 07 '17 at 21:27
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    By definition, "innate" means "born with it". So, no, you can't gain it — trivially by definition. – Konrad Rudolph Jan 08 '17 at 01:16
  • @fredsbend Being aware of the sun is different from having an innate sense. It still takes a conscious effort, for me at least, to get from the sun's position in the sky to knowing where north is. And, of course, there are also factors that prevent you from seeing the sun, such as those mentioned already and also clouds, most notably. – Ben Jan 08 '17 at 01:18
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    @KonradRudolph By taking the literal meaning of the word, indeed. However, I think the spirit of the video and my question is really about whether you can get sensory augmentation to the point that it feels innate, i.e. as if you were born with it, rather than having to process the stimulus consciously (e.g. this side vibrates so that must be where north is). – Ben Jan 08 '17 at 01:20
  • Given that there are claims that certain Australian tribes have an innate sense that doesn't rely on technology I'm not happy with this framing of equating an augmented sense as being innate. – Christian Jan 08 '17 at 05:46
  • @Christian There are claims, yes, but I'm not sure I believe that. I've heard many people make this claim, but I doubt that it would hold up under all conditions, ranging from cloudy days to being inside buildings etc. There's also a difference between having a sense of direction in general, as in having the framework to navigate the world, so to speak, and always knowing where north is. – Ben Jan 08 '17 at 13:21
  • @Ben My main point is that having an innate skill is different than a skill that's augmented by tech. It's a different claim. – Christian Jan 08 '17 at 14:50
  • @Christian This argument is not clear-cut: People wearing glasses have innate skills augmented by tech. People who are deaf from birth and receive a chochlear implant have to learn hearing. They gain an innate (for healthy people) sense, but it won't work without tech. Is hearing innate for a cochlear implant recipient? – Posipiet Jan 08 '17 at 20:04
  • @Posipiet : I don't think that someone who depends on an implant has an innate sense of hearing. I'm no native speaker but if I look at the dictionary definition of innate it doesn't seem me to include augmented sensors via implants. – Christian Jan 08 '17 at 20:11
  • I changed the question from "innate" to "new" as the definition may have been causing some confusion. Hopefully that's okay. (i.e. with innate meaning "born with" or to that effect) – JasonR Jan 09 '17 at 16:02
  • I imagine the use of "innate" was just a mistake, and what was meant was something like "unconscious" or "implicit". – IMSoP Jan 09 '17 at 16:19
  • @fredsbend When visiting the other hemisphere of the planet, you do have to actively think about where the sun is, and why the shadows seem all wrong for the direction of travel. I found this especially confusing while on foot. – Paul Jan 09 '17 at 16:34
  • @Paul Or you can flip your map over. –  Jan 09 '17 at 21:06

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Yes, it is certainly possible to learn a new sense. The original publication was from Dr. Peter König from University of Osnabrück. His most recent publication on this topic is more general: Learning a new sense by sensory augmentation: "Training with the feelSpace belt lead to (1) changes in sleep architecture, compatible with the consolidation of procedural learning and increased sensorimotor processing and motor programming, (2) differential activation in sensory and higher motor centers and brain areas involved in navigation, (3) changes of perception of space and belt perception and to an increased trust in navigational ability. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that new sensorimotor contingencies can be learned through sensory augmentation."

There is plenty research into sensory substitution and sensory augmentation.

Posipiet
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    Thanks for your answer, however "sensory augmentation" is the opposite of "innate sense" as asked, "innate" meaning "born with". – Sklivvz Jan 07 '17 at 22:47
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    @Sklivvz I think that sensory augmentation to the point that it feels innate (i.e. as if you were born with it) is really what was meant in the video, so I don't think they're opposites in the context of this question. – Ben Jan 08 '17 at 01:14
  • @Sklivvz I did an edit to the question to be in line with what I think the asker and the answer are looking for. Did that help? – JasonR Jan 09 '17 at 16:03