Science Journalism Workshop
The eyes have it! Or do they?
We don't actually "see" with our eyes -- we "see" with our brains. The image that forms on the retina is translated into a cascade of nerve impulses that travels via the optic nerve deep into the brain, where these signals are interpreted and give rise to perception.
The amount of visual information the optic nerve can handle at any time corresponds roughly to the capabilities of a 1 Megapixel digital camera—nowadays even pocketsize point-and-shoots routinely handle 10 times more information—but we can nevertheless successfully navigate a complicated and constantly changing environment.
Thanks to novel techniques and research creativity, there is an explosion of knowledge regarding how the brain gleans meaningful information about the world around us. We now have the answers to many questions that not too long ago seemed intractable.
Have you ever wondered…
- Why Waldo is so hard to find?
- How the "mind's eye" works?
- How we know "red" means stop?
- Why our brains are easily tricked by optical illusions?
- How infant brains learn to see?
- If there’s a connection between autism and vision problems?
- Why it is taking so long for retinal implants?
- How we perceive beauty?
- Why we overlook things in "plain sight?"
Please join us for a free workshop to brush up on the mechanics of how vision works, to hear about some of the latest findings, to figure out what developments are on the horizon, and who to call when a story breaks.
The workshop will begin with a basic introduction to the visual system, followed by presentations by vision researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of California, San Diego. The schedule allows time for questions, discussion and one-on-one follow-up with individual researchers.