Chapter 2 | Sense, Nonsense, and the Stimulus
Chapter Subheadings
The “Five” Senses • Understanding the Stimulus • Stimulus Problems
Summary
What is the difference between what Daredevil does, and the powers ascribed to someone like Darth Vader? Ideally, it is the presence of some kind of real, measurable stimulus out in the real world. We take a closer look at the matter and energy so vital to human sensation, and why so many sensory oddities in Daredevil are really “stimulus problems.”
Chapter Excerpt: “In the case of sound and hearing, the rubbing of tires against asphalt, as someone hits the brakes on their car outside our window, is an example of a distal stimulus. The proximal stimulus is the vibrations of air caused by this event that set our eardrums in motion. When we smell something wonderful from the kitchen, freshly baked bread might be the distal stimulus, and the scent that reaches our noses – in the form of a microscopic sample of the bread itself – is the proximal stimulus.
It is sometimes subtly suggested that Daredevil can “reach out” with his senses. For instance, in Daredevil #349, by J.M. DeMatteis and Cary Nord, a caption reads ‘He casts his hyper-senses out like a net across the city — sifting through scents and sounds for the smallest hint of his teacher.’ However, this is not a great description of how sensation works. If there is any reaching to be done, it is the stimulus that has to do it.”
Helpful videos
Longitudinal vs. Transverse Waves
Note: Electromagnetic waves aren’t particles, strictly speaking (it’s complicated), but this video gives a pretty good idea of the two movement patterns.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
This video offers additional information about electromagnetic waves specifically. Note that electromagnetism contains two distinct “components” – an electric field and a magnetic field.
Panels
From Daredevil #1 (1964), by Stan Lee and Bill Everett
Matt through captions:
“My hearing is so acute, that I can tell if someone is in a room with me just by hearing the heartbeat!”
“And I never forget an odor once I smell it! I could recognize any girl by her perfume… or any many by his hair tonic…”
“Even my fingers have become incredibly sensitive! I can tell how many bullets are in a gun just by the weight of the barrel…”
“While my sense of taste has become so highly developed that I can tell exactly how many grains of salt are on a piece of pretzel…”
(See Chapter 9 for the next panel which introduces the radar sense.)
From Daredevil #2 (1964), by Stan Lee and Joe Orlando
Caption: “Imagine a blind man operating a space ship!! Not as impossible as it seems if that man can hear the levers move, feel the power needed, sense the direction of flight!!”
Daredevil: “I’ve done it! I’ve reversed the missile’s course!!”
Caption: “And then, the most incredible tas of all begins… The task of landing the powerful spaceship back on Earth without injuring any hapless humans!”
Daredevil: “By hearing the slight movement of the astro-compass, I can gauge my direction perfectly! And by feeling the action of the radarscope I can pinpoint my landing! I’ll bring the ship down in the middle of Central Park in New York, finding an open spot where I hear no human heartbeats.”
From Daredevil #10 (2015), by Charles Soule and Ron Garney
Caption relaying Matt’s thoughts: “Blood. Everyone’s blood smells different. Body chemistry, diet, background… all sorts of factors. I’m not an expert. I probably couldn’t identify any one person by the scent of their blood. But I’m good enough to tell one from another.”
Daredevil: “The… paint. It’s not just one person’s blood.”
Blindspot: “Wait, what? How many people are up there?”
Daredevil: “I could be off by one or two. But by my count… at least one hundred and thirteen.”
