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Multitasking: You can't pay full attention to both sights and sounds

A study by Johns Hopkins University suggests that cell phones and driving don't mix because directing attention to listening effectively 'turns down the volume' on visual input. Brain activity recordings show that attention is strictly limited, affecting both auditory and visual tasks.

Gamers' brains no different than yours or mine

A study by Washington University postdoctoral fellow Alan Castel found that expert video game players exhibit a 20% reduction in response times compared to non-players. This suggests that expertise is acquired through practice rather than being an innate ability.

Exploring the 'corner-of-your-eye' phenomenon

The study found that when subjects focus on one feature, they also attend to similar features elsewhere in the visual field. The researchers developed an experimental technique to measure this phenomenon and its implications for understanding how our brain processes visual information.

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Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

The lopsided brain: Attention bias is shared by humans and birds

Researchers found that birds, including domestic chicks and pigeons, show a leftward bias in pecking at grains, similar to human spatial hemineglect. This finding suggests that brain organization underlying attention asymmetries may offer benefits in spatial learning and tasks.

Faces must be seen to be recognized

Researchers found that recognizing faces requires visual perception, while lower-level aspects like orientation can be processed without awareness. The study used binocular rivalry experiments and inattentional blindness to demonstrate the importance of visual processing in face recognition.

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Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

Visual attention attuned to grabbable objects

Researchers at Dartmouth College found that visual attention is specifically drawn to graspable objects, such as tools, and that this effect is more pronounced when these objects are on the right side. This discovery suggests a clear association between visual perception and motor systems in the brain.

Attention acts as visual glue

A recent brain mapping experiment provides significant new support for the theory that attention is the glue that cements visual information together, helping to solve the 'binding problem' in neuroscience. The study found increased activity in the parietal region when individuals were presented with multiple objects at once.

Vibrations may deliver crucial information to pilots

Researchers at Ohio State University found that pilots can detect changes in automation status more effectively when receiving vibrations than visual cues. The study suggests that tactile feedback could be a powerful tool for human-machine communication in various domains, including aviation, healthcare, and space exploration.

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Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.

Focusing Attention Cancels Brain-Dampening Effects Of Visual Clutter

Researchers tested human subjects with fMRI scans to show that focusing attention on a single stimulus cancels out suppressive influences of nearby stimuli, improving information processing. This effect is observed in the object vision circuit and is enhanced by spatially directed attention.