1. Are there any external resources that can be used by the mechanism?
Answer: No
2. Are physical changes possible to the mechanism?
Answer: Yes
3. Can other parts of the mechanism be used to minimize the effects of the fault?
Answer: No
3) Going blind and learning to move by sound or touch
If an animal were to go blind they would have to learn to get around by sound and/or touch. Studies have shown that blind people, and theoretically other animals, have heightened sound and touch receptors. Those who have the chance to see things before they went blind have an advantage because they were able to correlate a sound to an object and then can remember the object after going blind. Once the individual goes blind, no matter if it was early or later on in life, the brain is capable of cross- modal neuroplasticity and can change with experience (Bates). This means that the brain has the ability to reorganize itself to where the areas of the brain that were used for sight can now be used for hearing (Bates). The animal will then learn how to move around by the sounds that it is hearing. The animal can also use touch to move around. In a study done by Daniel Goldreich, those who were blind were able to process touch faster because the brain has had to hone in on each specific touch and complete the neural processing in a timely manner in order to survive(Society of Neuroscience).
Bates, Mary. “Super Powers for the Blind and Deaf.” Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 8 Jan. 2015.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/superpowers-for-the-blind-and-deaf/
Society of Neuroscience. Blind People Perceive Touch Faster than Those with Sight. Society of Neuroscience. Society of Neuroscience, 26 Oct. 2010. Web. 8 Jan. 2015.
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