TECHNOLOGY
Researchers have found that the familiarity to colour stays with the brain separately, and it can assign it to some other object.
While the brain is attuned to link a colour with a particular object, researchers have found that the familiarity to colour stays with the brain separately, and it can assign it to some other object.
The researchers at the University of Chicago have for the first time found that the brain processes the shape of an object and its colour in two separate pathways, and, though the object's shape and colour normally are linked, the neural representation of the colour can survive alone.
When that happens, the brain establishes a new link that binds the colour to another visible shape. "Colour is in the brain. It is constructed, just as the meanings of words are constructed. Without the neural processes of the brain, we wouldn't be able to understand colours of objects any more than we could understand words of a language we hear but don't know," said Steven Shevell, a University of Chicago psychologist who specializes on colour and vision.
The study expands the understanding of how the brain is able to integrate the multiple features of an object, such as shape, colour, location and velocity, into a unified whole. "An aspect of human vision that we normally don't appreciate is that different features of an object, including colour and shape, can be represented in different parts of the brain," said Shevell.
If a person sees a basketball coming, it is perceived as having a particular colour, shape and velocity. "The knitting together, or what can be called 'neural gluing,' of all those different features so we see a unified object is a complex function done by the brain. Our research focused on how the brain does that," explained Shevell.
For the study, the researchers used a technique called binocular rivalry, which presents a different image to each eye and thus pits signals from the right eye against signals from the left.
"The brain has difficulty integrating the two eyes' incompatible signals. When the signals from the two eyes are different enough, the brain resolves the conflicting information by suppressing the information from one of the eyes. We exploited this feature of the brain with a method that caused the shape from one eye to be suppressed but not its colour," said Shevell.
Firstly, they showed subjects vertically oriented green stripes in the left eye, and a horizontally oriented set of red stripes in the right eye. "The brain cannot fuse them in a way that makes sense. So the brain sees only horizontal or vertical," said Shevell.
They developed a new form of the technique that allowed the horizontal pattern to be suppressed without eliminating its red colour, which continued on to the brain. At this point, the brain has a musical chairs problem, both the red and green colours reach consciousness but with only the one vertical pattern-one object but two colours.
The surprising result was that the "disembodied red, which originated from the unseen horizontal pattern in one eye, glued itself to parts of the consciously seen vertical pattern from the other eye. That proves the idea of neural binding or neural gluing, where the colour is connected to the object in an active neural process," said Shevell.
The study has been published in Psychological Science.
Delhi residents defy firecracker ban, illuminate night sky with Diwali celebrations
'Since I've retired...': Rohit Sharma reacts after Mumbai Indians retain him for IPL 2025
Diwali 2024: How to get rid of acidity, bloating, constipation post Diwali binge?
IND vs NZ, 3rd Test Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs New Zealand match
IPL 2025: What is the remaining purse and RTM cards for all teams ahead of mega-auction?
Meet Indian man who secured job at Elon Musk's Tesla after sending...
'Isse zyada sundar...': Viral video captures aerial view of Diwali celebrations in Noida, WATCH
THIS company got richer by Rs 29878 crore on Diwali day due to...
Delhi's air quality deteriorates to 'very poor' category, likely to worsen after festival
IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant released by Delhi Capitals, CSK retains MS Dhoni as...
Meet woman, who quit NCPI as COO, now set to lead India's largest...
Viral: Businessman gifts Rs 1 crore Rolex watch to contractor for his...
Post-Diwali hangover? 5 easy tips to detox the liver
Pushpa 2: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna share film's NEW poster to wish fans on Diwali
Gautam Adani's companies set to supply 6500 MW of power to THIS state
WTC 2023-25 points table update after South Africa clean sweep Bangladesh 2-0 in Test series
Meet woman, college dropout who earns Rs 1494000 monthly, works just 4 hours a day, she is...
Why KL Rahul decided to part ways with Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2025 retention deadline?
Sebi issues Rs 154 crore demand notices to Anil Ambani's companies, asks them to pay within...
IND vs NZ: Jasprit Bumrah to miss third India vs New Zealand Test? Report says star pacer is....
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Why it happens in winter?
New Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem open to truce with Israel, says, 'we accept but…’
BSNL continues to rise, deploys over 50000 4G sites with Tata Group company in India's most...
'Either this or nothing': Elderly couple dances at Mohit Chauhan's concert, WATCH viral video
'That's so cheap': Sana Makbul CRITICISES pap after he tells her 'mazze nahi aa rahe' in viral video
Indian, Chinese troops at LAC exchange Diwali sweets after border disengagement
Dawood Ibrahim was fan of this superstar, invited him for tea, confessed a murder to him, then…
NEET entrance 2025 exam to happen online? Here's what high-level panel suggests
Jadeja to enter IPL auction? CSK eying THIS star player as MS Dhoni's successor
Ratan Tata once surprised his dog trainer at Bombay VT: 'You hold the pup, I’ll take...'
Woman finds bundle of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes during Diwali cleaning, netizens call it...
IPL 2025: List of players set be retained on deadline day, CSK, RCB, MI will retain...
Kartik Aaryan says his film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 doesn't need cameos: 'Hume humaari...'
Meet man, who secured AIR 2644 in JEE, did B.Tech from IIT Kanpur, has now started doing...
Noida: Stunning drone footage captures Diwali celebrations, watch viral video
Is stock market open or closed on Diwali? Know details here
Don’t Move on Netflix movie review: Psychological thriller with enjoyable moments
Cricketer Ben Stokes' house burgled by masked robbers, England captain shares harrowing details
Diwali delights: Bengaluru man surprises mom with Apple iPhone 15, viral video wins internet, watch
'Divine festival of lights...' PM Narendra Modi extend his wishes on festival Diwali
Diwali 2024: Dos and don'ts, subh muhurat, rituals and more
Delhi pollution: National capital's air quality dips to 'very poor' on Diwali, AQI hits...
Varun Dhawan finally reveals daughter’s name on Amitabh Bachchan’s KBC 16: ‘We named her…’
Elon Musk is hiring Hindi tutors for his firm xAI, offering pay up to Rs...
When Abhishek Bachchan broke his silence on divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai: ‘Will you let me…”
Triupati Laddo row: Andhra Pradesh govt appoints BR Naidu as new chairman of Tirupati temple board
Meet man who left his IT job to build Indian brand, competes with Domino's, Pizza Hut, he is...
Diwali 2024: Know puja vidhi, shubh muhurat, significance, rituals and more
Meet man, whose father is a taxi driver, clears UPSC with AIR...