15 September 2010

It goes to three

| johnboy
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john's eye

The ANU is talking about some interesting research showing that our eyes can only keep track of three things at once.

the maximum number of signals that can be perceived can only increase to three: far less than if the limit was due purely to signal-to-noise limitations.

“Clearly, there is another processing limit being imposed by the visual system, most likely an attentional bottleneck. To see more than three different directions of motion, and hence more than three moving objects, you have to selectively attend to them, one by one,” he explained.

Dr Edwards said that the new insight into the ability of the average person to keep track of numerous moving objects has important health and safety implications for a whole range of areas such as road design and planning, operator training for vehicles, aircraft and for large equipment, sports training and other activities that demand a lot of our visual system.

But will anyone pay attention?

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georgesgenitals6:21 am 16 Sep 10

Cool – I love a good brown-eye.

ANU should test F1 drivers to see if they’re an exception to the research.

Lucky women only have two boobs, if they had three we would be screwed.
Intelligent design in action.

housebound said :

This wsa obviously not tested on the mothers of young children or teachers, who somehow keep track of more goings on than the rest of us put together. More research is needed.

With mothers I’m guessing it’s partly instinct (and I vaguely recall some research has been done on this ability of mothers to keep track of their brood) and with teachers, well, that’s why they sit at the front of the class – they can see everything.

Glad to see road design and by extension driver training get a mention – too many distractions (and the signs calling you an idiot or telling you how much water you’ve wasted don’t help).

This wsa obviously not tested on the mothers of young children or teachers, who somehow keep track of more goings on than the rest of us put together. More research is needed.

Holden Caulfield11:08 am 15 Sep 10

Spoono said :

How’s does that explain computer games? There’s sometimes hundreds of things going on.

That’s why they give you multiple lives!

How’s does that explain computer games? There’s sometimes hundreds of things going on.

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