How Does DAREDEVIL 'See'? || Comic Misconceptions || NerdSync

Daredevil might have been blinded as a kid, but can he still "see"? Put on your learning hats, because we're talking about the science behind whether or not being blind REALLY enhances your other senses to superhuman levels. We're also going to discuss the super confusing and inconsistent "radar sense" that Matt Murdock developed after the accident that took away his sight. Is it a form of echolocation? Is it simply an extension of his enhanced senses of hearing or touch? Or is it a new and completely independent sense, different than anything we've ever experienced?

Plus, we're also exploring a bit of the world of synesthesia to see how Daredevil can see sounds! So much fun stuff to learn about the Man Without Fear on this week's Comic Misconceptions!

Every Wednesday, Comic Misconceptions explores the fun trivia, interesting ideas, and mind-blowing theories regarding comic books and the rich history and culture that surrounds them!

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SOURCES:
Daredevil #1
Daredevil #167
Daredevil Vol 2 #9
People Blind from Birth Use Visual Brain Area to Improve Other Senses
Super Powers for the Blind and Deaf
Loss of Sight Heightens the Other Senses
The Brain Gets Rewired if One of the Senses Is Lost
Myth or fact: if you have hearing loss, do your other senses compensate?
Braille and the Brain
"The blind thing? It comes and goes"
Can Synesthesia be Acquired?
A History of the Radar Sense
Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages
Why Isn't the Sky Blue? - Radiolab
Can we create new senses for humans?
Is It Possible?- Real Life Batman
How I use sonar to navigate the world

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[xpeter]

I actually always thought the "radar sense" was him concentrating in all his senses at ones.

So he can hear/smell/feel people or objects getting close to him, this way he has a slight idea of what it could be, add a little comic book magic in there, and he has a "radar" sense

[NerdSyncProductions]

*About Human Sonar/Echolocation*

Yes, I am fully aware of the many blind people who can use tongue clicks as echolocation to navigate the world. It was originally in the script, but I cut it out because the video was already long. Plus, I'm still not entirely convinced that the radar sense is truly sonar. It's been described that way, but the inconsistencies make it hard for me personally to say that's the definitive answer.

Thank you all for providing links so that everyone else can read articles and watch videos on the subject. I'll put some in the description so you don't have to keep posting them.

[AceWolf]

I think the "Radar Sense" is like how you just seem to know someone is behind you without looking. But on a monstrous amount of steroids.

[RobertDWilson]

I always assumed Daredevil's 'radar' was a form of electromagnetic detection.

By that I mean, you know how you're in a dark room and can't see, hear, or feel anyone, but you're pretty sure there's someone else in the room with you and you can almost 'sense' how far away they are?

I assume these electromagnetic signals are processed via his skin or the hair on his skin in the form of vibrations, heat, wind, electrical charges in the air, etc.

[love-hammer]

"comic misconceptions"? you, sir, have a subscription.

[ZachsMind]

"Lotta science today. Hope you guys like that." 

Yes. I do. 

As a reader, or viewer, I'd prefer it if the writers kept it vague. Try to limit Murdock's usual activity to things that can readily be explained by saying he just has heightened senses. He 'feels' what's around him in a 360 due to air movement and vibrations and how objects interact with each other. I'd also prefer more consistency tho. Smoke or fog should actually make it easier for him to see than his opponents (or have no effect either way), cuz there's more particulates in the air to inform him. He should be able to sense through walls, because vibrations and even molecular interactions are not limited the way eyes are, but not being able to see around plant life? Being affected by some solid objects but not others? 

As a writer, if I had the chance to write a Daredevil story, I'd entertain the idea that the "radar sense" is a combination of his other heightened senses working in tandem (thus building his unique umwelt), and "something else, " which I'd intentionally keep mysteriously open-ended, but hint at either alien or mystic origins of which even Matt isn't aware. If I needed to explain how he did something just a little bit out of the range of physics, I'd punt to that mysterious force, just to keep the audience guessing. Just enough to not suspend disbelief, but I wouldn't promise ever revealing what it was. Just suffice to say the Daredevil has a kinda 'guardian angel' of his own.

[BingeWatchers]

So basically Daredevil is the pinnacle of humanity. Because science.

[goodshowmanythanks]

Tony Stark made DD see in Superior Iron Man, and it really messed with him.

[wadewilson]

I love the Chris Samnee representation of Daredevi's radar sense. It looks the coolest and, I feel, is the most accurate representation of what Matt probably "sees" on a regular basis.

[Mike_Ka-Chowski]

Everyone knows he sees with Earthbending.

[laurenmack]

Thank you so much for doing this video! It is so important that Daredevil is a blind superhero. That kind of representation is crucial to who he is and (in my opinion) to many different disabled communities. I've seen so many people dismiss his blindness because sometimes it looks like he can "see" especially with that throw away line from the Netflix show about "you can see in a manor of speaking" without really going into it. I think you described it in such a way that helps explain that it's a concept that is hard for us seeing people to understand or comprehend. Thanks again!

[EmpLaun]

I need a pair of 3-D glasses to look at that shirt

[BurningBushProductions]

Anyone else really want to see an episode explains Alfred's backstory? I've heard a lot of conflicting information about it and really want it to be cleared up...

[tessewact]

I like the explanation from the Netflix series.
His enhanced other senses make little fragments of what everything *would* look like, and create an image in his head that looks like "a world on fire".

[shaungibson]

So basically, describing his radar sense is just like describing the color blue.

[PabloOlbapPablo]

Since he is the man without fear, don't you think I'd be interesting to see Daredevil as a Green Lantern?

[QuintMarvel]

After Dr. Doom "muted" all of his senses, Matt started to "evolve" new senses to compensate. It was a cool concept, but it is a canon occurrence of Matt's brain "rewiring" itself to compensate for the loss of his other senses.

I wonder why no writer occasionally tries to explore Matt being thought of as a Mutant.

[gerardoangel]

I really like this kind of videos were you mix the comics facts with the science ones

[superreviewers]

Great in-depth analysis, Scott. The kind of thing I've come to admire and expect from this channel.

[kstaten]

Well done. I loved the science and air quotes. Really, on a less superficial note, I appreciated the explanation of what the writers/creators might/probably were striving for as far as the radar sense goes. I am not a huge comic book reader but Daredevil is probably my favorite Marvel Comic of all time. Thanks again. I'm excited to check out your other videos.