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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Eye-Catching"
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
48 kbps |
96 kbps
(90 seconds)
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READER SCRIPT
(DOES NOT FULLY MATCH AUDIO)
DID YOU SEE WHAT I SAW? THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT THE SAME MOVING OBJECT, THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE THAT MY PERCEPTION AND YOURS WILL BE QUITE DIFFERENT. NEW RESEARCH OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA HAS REVEALED A DUAL APPROACH AS TO HOW THE EYES AND BRAIN SENSE AND FOLLOW MOTION. AS THE BASEBALL FLIES TOWARD THE BATTER, THE FIRST THING THAT HIS EYES DO IS SENSE THAT THERE IS A MOVING OBJECT--AND CATCH UP TO IT; THIS IS CALLED "LOW-LEVEL MOTION PERCEPTION". THEN, "HIGH-LEVEL MOTION PERCEPTION" KICKS IN--WHEN THE EYES AND THE BRAIN TEAM UP TO LOCK IN ON THE OBJECT--AND FOLLOW IT, AS IT TRAVELS THROUGH THE AIR. IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND, THE BRAIN PIECES TOGETHER BOTH PERCEPTIONS--AND IT'S THE OLD "KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL". THE OVERALL PROCESS--KNOWN AS "SMOOTH PURSUIT"--IS ALMOST COMPLETELY UNIQUE TO HUMANS AND OTHER PRIMATES. ABILITIES EVEN DIFFER AMONGST US: SOME ARE BETTER AT LOW-LEVEL MOTION SENSING--WHILE OTHERS EXCEL IN HIGH-LEVEL OBJECT TRACKING. THE NEXT TIME THAT SOMEONE TOSSES SOMETHING AT YOU, THERE'S NO NEED FOR THEM TO SHOUT, "THINK FAST"; YOU ALREADY DO. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV--OR ON THEIR PODCAST.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
