Wolfgang Baumeister and Riitta Hari develop cryoelectron tomography to visualize molecular complexes in cells, while Nikos Logothetis studies the basis of visual awareness in trained monkeys. These advances may provide insight into changes during synaptic activation and social cognition.
The Optical Society of America honored its 2002 award winners, recognizing their significant contributions to various fields of optics. Notably, James P. Gordon received the Frederic Ives Medal for his seminal work on quantum electronics, while Emil Wolf was awarded the Esther Hoffman Beller Award for his influential educational work.
A study at Vanderbilt University found that an adult male with synesthesia consistently matched colors to words and numbers, even when the letters or numbers were presented separately. The researchers also found that his synesthetic colors acted like real colors in certain tests.
Research by Marlene Behrmann seeks to understand how the human brain interprets visual information, enabling us to recognize objects and locations. Her work aims to shed light on the neural processes underlying visual mental imagery and its relationship with perception.
Researchers Beau Lotto and Dale Purves suggest that the visual system perceives color based on reflectances and illuminances of past stimuli. In experiments, subjects adjusted colors to match perceived color differences, showing an increased difference when contexts suggested different objects or illumination.
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.
Researchers from various fields will discuss normal development and understanding of the visual world, as well as brain failures to recognize objects. The symposium aims to bring together converging perspectives on how our brains organize and interpret visual information.
A team of NYU/U.Rochester researchers found evidence that viewing any image for as little as 0.5 seconds causes an after-affect on visual neurons. This rapid adaptation helps the brain distinguish subtle differences in visual patterns, a critical component of normal visual perception.
New York University scientist Denis Pelli finds that the transition from grid to face in Close's paintings occurs at relatively short distances, revealing a size-dependent breakdown of shape perception. This challenges existing theories and credits Chuck Close with discovering this effect.
Researchers Randolph Blake and Sang-Hun Lee found that humans can group elements into objects based on subtle changes in timing. By analyzing the precise timing of motion in a dense array of pinwheels, viewers could distinguish synchronized groups from individual elements.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute found that moving objects appear slower through rod photoreceptors than cone photoreceptors, especially under low light conditions. This underestimation can lead to compensatory speeding-up, which may be fatal.
Researchers found that imagining visual stimuli activates short-term memory, lowering the threshold of brightness for visual perception. This phenomenon suggests separate neural mechanisms control short- and long-term visual memory, with imagination enhancing visual abilities.
A study by NIH scientists found that individuals with dyslexia exhibit no activation in the V5/MT brain area, which specializes in movement perception. This suggests trouble processing specific visual information and may contribute to reading disabilities characteristic of dyslexia.