How the Mind Deceives the Eye
Thursday
26 January 2006
19:00 - 20:30
How accurately do our brains tell our eyes what to see? What creates an illusion in our minds and how do we decipher or misinterpret images? With our attention focused on one thing, we can completely overlook something else right there in front of us.
Visualisation requires more than just seeing. Different areas of the brain process information from our eyes and recognise objects, faces and so on in context with movement and space. Find out what illusions can teach us about the way we perceive the world around us and the structure of the visual system
Sometimes, following brain damage such as a stroke, people may lose the ability to see one half their field of vision, a condition called visual neglect' that they may not even be aware of. How do they cope with daily life and what can such conditions tell us about the visual systems of the brain? A man may not be able to shave one side of his face, or a person may have difficulty navigating themselves even in familiar areas.
In a series of visual illusions, discover whether you should really trust what you see. Or can you be fooled?
Visualisation requires more than just seeing. Different areas of the brain process information from our eyes and recognise objects, faces and so on in context with movement and space. Find out what illusions can teach us about the way we perceive the world around us and the structure of the visual system
Sometimes, following brain damage such as a stroke, people may lose the ability to see one half their field of vision, a condition called visual neglect' that they may not even be aware of. How do they cope with daily life and what can such conditions tell us about the visual systems of the brain? A man may not be able to shave one side of his face, or a person may have difficulty navigating themselves even in familiar areas.
In a series of visual illusions, discover whether you should really trust what you see. Or can you be fooled?