umvelt

Umwelt, a term derived from the German word for "environment" or "surrounding world," was introduced by biologist Jakob von Uexküll in the early 20th century. It refers to the unique sensory and perceptual world that each organism experiences. Uexküll proposed that animals do not perceive the world in the same way humans do. Instead, each species has its own specific "bubble" of reality, defined by its sensory apparatus and its biological needs and behaviors.

An organism's umwelt is not an objective representation of its surroundings but rather a subjective interpretation. It encompasses only those aspects of the environment that are relevant to the organism's survival, reproduction, and interaction with its world. For example, a tick's umwelt might consist primarily of the scent of butyric acid from mammals and the sensation of warmth. A bee's umwelt, on the other hand, would be rich in ultraviolet patterns on flowers and the scent of nectar.

The concept of umwelt emphasizes that there is no single, universal reality. Rather, reality is species-specific and organism-dependent. This idea has had a significant impact on fields such as ethology, semiotics, cognitive science, and even art and philosophy, encouraging a deeper understanding of the diverse ways in which life experiences the world. It highlights the importance of considering an organism's perspective when studying its behavior and its relationship with its environment.