India, Nov. 19 -- In 1934, the German artist Max Ernst painted an abstract work titled The Blind Swimmer (Effect of a Touch). The painting invites viewers to imagine the sensations and perceptions of someone navigating a world without sight. While this idea may have seemed radical at the time, nature has long equipped creatures like bats, dolphins, and whales with a remarkable ability to "see" through sound-echolocation. By listening to echoes, they sense distance, movement, and shape. Even semi-blind animals such as beavers navigate water with confidence. If a visually impaired person can detect whether someone standing before them is taller or shorter just by sound and spatial awareness, then what truly prevents them from swimming?

Yet...