Visual
visual psychophysic
Latest
The Standard Model of the Retina
The science of the retina has reached an interesting stage of completion. There exists now a consensus standard model of this neural system - at least in the minds of many researchers - that serves as a baseline against which to evaluate new claims. The standard model links phenomena from molecular biophysics, cell biology, neuroanatomy, synaptic physiology, circuit function, and visual psychophysics. It is further supported by a normative theory explaining what the purpose is of processing visual information this way. Most new reports of retinal phenomena fit squarely within the standard model, and major revisions seem increasingly unlikely. Given that our understanding of other brain circuits with comparable complexity is much more rudimentary, it is worth considering an example of what success looks like. In this talk I will summarize what I think are the ingredients that led to this mature understanding of the retina. Equally important, a number of practices and concepts that are currently en vogue in neuroscience were not needed or indeed counterproductive. I look forward to debating how these lessons might extend to other areas of brain research.
Uncertainty in perceptual decision-making
Whether we are deciding about Covid-related restrictions, estimating a ball’s trajectory when playing tennis, or interpreting radiological images – most any choice we make is based on uncertain evidence. How do we infer that information is more or less reliable when making these decisions? How does the brain represent knowledge of this uncertainty? In this talk, I will present recent neuroimaging data combined with novel analysis tools to address these questions. Our results indicate that sensory uncertainty can reliably be estimated from the human visual cortex on a trial-by-trial basis, and moreover that observers appear to rely on this uncertainty when making perceptual decisions.
visual psychophysic coverage
2 items