A study published in PLOS Biology reveals that the inferolateral occipitotemporal cortex selectively encodes object shape in both sighted and early blind individuals. This finding suggests that the brain is organized as operators executing a function regardless of input senses.
A study led by Dartmouth College researchers found that participants' color memory improved when stimuli were meaningful and part of real-world objects. The results demonstrate that the capacity for visual working memory of colors is more continuous and flexible than previously thought, with better recall of colors in meaningful contexts.
Researchers propose a system that plays brief, targeted sounds to alert individuals near digital signage, while only making the sound audible to those actively viewing it. The system improved participants' attention to signage and reduced distractions.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Vienna found that dogs and humans have brain regions specialized in perceiving body postures, similar to those found in humans. The study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare the brains of 40 human participants with 15 pet dogs.
A new study reveals that the brain makes trade-offs between accuracy and speed in sensory perception. Initial visual processing is faster but less accurate compared to other parts of the brain. The findings contradict the efficient coding hypothesis, suggesting that the brain can process sensory inputs quickly with small errors.
Researchers at KAUST developed smart digital image sensors that can recognize images with high accuracy, using a charge-trapping 'in-memory' sensor sensitive to visible light. The devices have an extremely long-lived retention time of up to 10 years and can perform optical sensing, storage, and computation.
A team from UNIGE created a book with tactile illustrations that associate sounds with objects, enabling visually impaired children to identify them more easily. The combination of gestures, shapes, and sounds helps bridge the gap between visual and tactile experiences.
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that predicting movement is crucial for eye-and-hand coordination. The study used high-speed cameras and AI methods to analyze primate behavior and developed a detailed model of vision-guided reaching behavior.
A study found that expert mammogram radiologists exhibit visual hindsight bias, leading to improved performance on blurry images after prior clear images were viewed. This bias can impact the detection of lesions and has implications for negligence lawsuits and patient outcomes.
Researchers found that past images can distort our perception of current stimuli, with brain activity revealing a
A new study reveals that human vision can exploit defocus blur to infer perceptual scale but does so crudely, affecting our ability to accurately estimate object sizes. Researchers used blurred images of full-scale railway scenes and small-scale models to test participants' perceptions.
Researchers from Aston University and the University of York discovered new insights into how the human brain makes perceptual judgments of the external world. They found that humans can exploit 'defocus blur' to infer perceptual scale, but this process is crude and more heuristic than metrical analysis.
A new technique called image-free single-pixel object detection (SPOD) can detect the location, size, and category of multiple objects without acquiring images. SPOD uses a small optimized structured light pattern to quickly scan the scene and extract features, achieving an accuracy of over 80%.
Researchers discovered that a certain short-wave or blue sensitive cone circuit is absent in marmosets and differs from the macaque monkey's circuit. This finding suggests that humans have unique neural wiring for color vision that may be linked to recent evolutionary adaptations.
Researchers from Japan found that cold imagery can positively influence consumer behavior and perception about a product, increasing perceived ambiguity and newness. This study suggests using background images related to coldness in advertisements may be an effective way for marketers to communicate product newness without altering the...
A study found that bilingual readers process Latin and Chinese characters in different ways due to the formation of specialized cortical areas within the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA). In English-Chinese bilinguals, areas were only stimulated by recognition of Chinese logograms, while English-French bilinguals showed equal activation fo...
Research by State University of New York College of Optometry suggests that reading lacks diversity in visual inputs, potentially leading to myopia development. The study proposes a mechanism where sustained reading reduces activation of ON pathways, causing eye growth beyond its focus plane and blurring vision at far distances.
Biyu J. He's groundbreaking research on perceptual cognition and subjective experience has challenged traditional views of consciousness. Her work explores how past experiences shape individual perception and understanding, using innovative techniques like fMRI and EEG.
The study found that a microscopic change in a protein in the retina occurs within a fraction of a trillionth of a second, triggering the perception of light. This process involves the transformation of a molecule called retinal from its 11-cis form to its all-trans form, which takes just one picosecond.
A small study funded by the National Eye Institute found that a unique brain region called the occipital place area (OPA) supports visually guided navigation when walking, but fails to activate during crawling. This finding may help explain how children learn to navigate their surroundings and develop motor skills.
A new 'multisensory pseudo-haptic' technology delivers believable tactile experiences in virtual environments by combining visual feedback from a VR headset with tactile sensations from a mechanical wristbracelet. This innovation keeps hands free, enabling long-term wear and more realistic user experiences.
New research explores the impact of digital media on visual perception, finding that online environments can shift what the brain pays attention to. Studies suggest that excessive digital use can lead to a reduced sensitivity to oblique angles, but this effect may not be permanent once exposure to nature increases.
Researchers mapped every thalamic synapse on 15 neurons in layer 2/3 of the visual cortex in mice and found that despite being weak and sparse, they are reliable and efficient representatives of information. The diversity of thalamic inputs underlies these advantages, allowing a small population of neurons to assemble the overall picture.
A study with human subjects found that varying training conditions led to better generalization of task performance, even in the presence of irrelevant stimuli. This suggests that more variability in training can lead to improved learning outcomes by enabling the brain to create invariant representations.
A recent study from Cornell University found that visual depictions of food pantry offerings, including brand names, have an ameliorative effect on negative product perceptions. The research also revealed that participants' pantry use history plays a role in their assessment of the quality of the food pantry products.
A new study found that structured visual design properties, such as symmetry and balance, reinforce claims about a brand's utilitarian benefits. In contrast, unstructured designs are associated with hedonic benefits. The research suggests marketers can use perception to influence beliefs about brand performance and consumer choice.
Researchers suggest that societal training shapes gendered perceptions of domestic tasks, with women more likely to see 'to be done' affordances. Men can improve their sensitivity to these affordances through conscious effort and habit formation.
A UCLA study conducted by Zili Liu and Chéla R Willey found that white, Asian American, and recent Asian immigrant college students performed similarly on a well-known visual perception test, known as the rod-and-frame task. The results suggest that basic visual functions are largely independent of cultural variation.
Research found that sounds can influence how we perceive objects visually, making related sounds prioritize certain features. This effect was observed in three experiments, showing that audio input influences object-morph selection speed and accuracy when played during visual discrimination phase.
A new study from Duke University finds that single neurons in the visual cortex rapidly switch between reporting on two separate objects by alternating signals. When objects overlap, brain cells treat them as a single entity, suggesting a more complex encoding process for everyday perception.
A novel multi-modal image retrieval system, DenseBert4Ret, has been developed by researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) using deep learning algorithms. The system outperforms state-of-the-art models in retrieving images based on both image and text features.
Researchers created a detailed map of the hippocampus's connections to the rest of the brain, finding fewer links with frontal lobes but more with visual networks. This discovery may change how we think about human memory and cognition, potentially shedding light on why some primates excel at certain memory tasks.
A study published in Scientific Reports shows that individuals with extensive experience performing inverted movements, such as vertical dancing, can overcome the inversion effect in perceiving biological motion. This ability is crucial for survival and social interaction, but is impaired when movements are performed upside-down.
Researchers found that individuals who underwent hemispherectomy surgery at a young age can still recognize differences between pairs of words or faces with remarkable accuracy. The study, published in PNAS, sheds light on brain plasticity and its limitations.
A study by the University of Exeter shows that urban life leads to a decline in plant awareness, which can be addressed through activities like wild food foraging. The research found that people's interest in plants develops where they have frequent interactions with relevant plants.
A study assesses and optimizes the landscape visual aesthetic quality of street pedestrian spaces in Jinan, China's historic downtown, using panoramic images and deep learning methods. The research finds that urban streets with high aesthetic quality serve as corridors among mountains and natural landscapes, improving city image.
A York University study found that deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) fail to capture the configural nature of human shape perception, which could be dangerous in traffic video safety systems. The researchers discovered that while humans use configural shape perception, DCNNs take 'shortcuts' and are insensitive to this aspect.
Researchers at Emory University used machine learning and fMRI to analyze a dog's brain activity while watching videos. The results show that dogs are more attuned to actions in their environment than to who or what is performing the action. This study offers proof of concept for decoding canine visual perception.
A recent ECU study discovered that tRNS can enhance neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to form new pathways and connections. This technology has shown promise as a tool to assist individuals with learning difficulties or neurological conditions.
Researchers at George Washington University found that people perceive objects differently based on their prior knowledge and experience, with manipulable objects perceived faster but with less detail, while non-manipulable objects are perceived slower but with higher detail.
A new study found that Alzheimer's disease damages a circuit that connects the vision processing centers of each brain hemisphere, leading to disrupted visual memory. The researchers discovered neurons that extend axons across the corpus callosum, which connect the hemispheres, and showed that these cells play a crucial role in synchro...
Researchers discovered that face centering, not saliency, plays a key role in guiding attention to faces in videos as people age. The findings have implications for children's television programming and the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
Researchers found that smells can enhance or hinder our ability to recognize emotions in others' faces. The study used a spectrum of emotions, from extreme joy to neutral, and measured participants' response times.
Researchers propose a new learning method for individuals with autism, utilizing 'memory flashes' to accelerate learning and improve visual perception capabilities. The study showed significant improvement in both learning speed and generalization of skills, even under new conditions.
A study by Toyohashi University of Technology found that the human visual system flexibly modulates observers' perception according to their posture. The research used the Necker cube as a visual stimulus and found a significant difference in probability of perception depending on the viewing posture, with a bias towards looking up.
A new study has discovered the neuronal changes that occur during learning to improve discrimination of closely related visual images. Researchers found that experience-driven changes in neural activity enhance discriminations relevant to task performance at the expense of other related discriminations.
Researchers have developed photonic synapses using large-area, uniform multilayer MoS2 films that integrate sensing-memory-preprocessing capabilities. These devices exhibit ultralow power consumption of about 40 aJ and can simulate short-term synaptic plasticity, long-term synaptic plasticity, and other synaptic properties.
Researchers found that individual variation in primary visual cortex size and brain tissue can predict contrast sensitivity, with larger V1 areas and more cortical tissue leading to better vision at specific locations. The study reveals a new link between brain structure and behavior.
A new study reveals an 'expanding hole' illusion that deceives the brain, prompting a dilation reflex in the pupils and making us perceive more light. The illusion is perceived by approximately 86% of people and affects how our visual system anticipates and makes sense of the visual world.
A NTU Singapore study found that consumers associate higher-pitched commercials with healthier food products. The researchers also discovered a link between more stimulating visuals and consumer perceptions of healthiness.
Researchers at Aalto University have discovered a dedicated neural pathway in the retina that can detect even the dimmest shadows possible. This breakthrough could lead to unprecedented resolution in probing visual diseases.
Researchers have developed CAS(ME)3, a large-scale micro-expression database with depth information and high ecological validity. The database contains 1,109 manually labeled micro-expressions and 3,490 macro-expressions, allowing for more accurate emotional analysis and recognition.
A study found that infants aged 5-8 months preferentially perceive faces in the upper visual field. The bias emerges around 7 months and is specific to faces, with no observed bias for non-face images. This suggests an important role of experience with faces in daily life in shaping this perceptual bias.
Researchers at Salk Institute discover that brain parses information through interactions of waves of neural activity, changing how data is processed and affecting attention and focus.
Research by Sightsavers and others estimates that blind people are nearly four times as likely to experience anxiety and depression as those with no vision impairment. The study highlights the need for governments and organizations to be aware of this issue and design health services to address it.
Researchers found that attention-related signals occur independently of eye movement signals, and microsaccades are not required for shifting attention. This breakthrough resolves controversy about brain systems for attention and has implications for understanding attention disorders and behavior.
Researchers at Duke University have demonstrated a new attack strategy that can deceive industry-standard autonomous vehicle sensors into believing nearby objects are closer or further than they appear. This vulnerability highlights the need for additional redundancy and data sharing between vehicles to protect against such attacks.
Researchers found that alpha oscillations are involved in two distinct processes: one related to observation accuracy and the other to internal representation of sensory events. Increasing or decreasing alpha speed and amplitude can independently modulate perception accuracy.
GIST researchers propose a new strategy for crime prevention using artificial intelligence, trained on a large-scale dataset of deviant incident reports and corresponding images. The model, called DevianceNet, can accurately classify and detect deviant places, making it a useful tool in urban safety development.
Research reveals that the brain's electrical rhythms fluctuate between high precision and low precision states several times per second, affecting how relevant information is transmitted. Cross-frequency coupling enables selective attention by modulating the strength of different frequencies, while distinguishing between different type...