Podcast: Play in new window
BOB HIRSHON (host):
Brain design and vision…I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
People with larger visual centers in their brains may be less susceptible to optical illusions. This according to Samuel Schwarzkopf of the Wellcome Trust for Neuroimaging at University College, London. Schwarzkopf says the findings have big implications for neuroscience.
D. SAMUEL SCHWARZKOPF (University College, London):
I’d say that we, for the first time, showed that there’s actually a link between the architecture of your brain and how you subjectively experience the vision environment.
HIRSHON:
One illusion involved two circles that are actually identical – but to most people, one appears larger. The smaller the person’s visual cortex, the more pronounced the difference appeared to be. People with large visual cortexes, on the other hand, were able to see the circles as they really are, without having to think about it. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.