Cognition
Shadows and Illusions
The way we detect shape and depth from shading reveals some primeval rules that govern how we see the world
Stories by Vilayanur S. Ramachandran
Mind
Reflections on the Mind
Experiments with a simple mirror setup can reveal much about the workings of the brain
Mind
The Ghost Hand Illusion
Spooky fun with afterimages
Mind
Reading between the Lines: How We See Hidden Objects
When an object is partially hidden, the brain deftly reconstructs it as a visual whole
Mind
Extreme Function: Why Our Brains Respond So Intensely to Exaggerated Characteristics
How quirks of perception drive the evolution of species
Mind
Hey, Is That Me over There?
And other real-life tales from the bizarre realm of out-of-body experience
Mind
Aristotle's Error
Using aftereffects to probe visual function reveals how the eye and brain handle colors and contours
Mind
A Moving Experience: Illusions That Trick the Brain
How the eyes can see movement where it does not exist
Mind
Illusions: The Mona Lisa and Abraham Lincoln
What do the famous portrait and the former U.S. president have in common?
Mind
Two Eyes, Two Views: Your Brain and Depth Perception
Insights into the nuances of depth perception provided by our two eyes' slightly different views of the world
Mind
Seeing in Stereo: Illusions of Depth
Binocular vision gives us depth perception—and enables us to play some tricks
Mind
Mind the Gap
The brain, like nature, abhors a vacuum
Mind
Cracking the da Vinci Code
What do the Mona Lisa and Abraham Lincoln have in common?
Mind
The Neurology of Aesthetics
How visual-processing systems shape our feelings about what we see
Mind
Hidden in Plain Sight
Camouflage in fish and other animals provides insights into visual perception
Mind
The Phantom Hand
The feeling of being touched on a fake hand illuminates how the brain makes assumptions about the world
Mind
When the Two Eyes Clash
A tale of binocular rivalry
Mind
Sizing Things Up
When you hoist two items of equal weight, your brain may be doing some heavy lifting
Mind
Ambiguities & Perception
What uncertainty tells us about the brain
Mind
A Moving Experience
How the eyes can see movement where it does not exist
