The Science of The Senses: Illusions, Vision and Pain.

Optic illusions are not just fun puzzles: they reveal something about how your vision works. In this talk, we’ll explore how our eyes and brain build the images we think we see. It starts in the retina, where light becomes signals. We then process these signals, reconstructing images using patterns, past experience and mental shortcuts. Usually, these shortcuts help us see quickly and efficiently, but sometimes they mislead us. By looking at optical illusions, we can decipher how complex our visual system is. This talk will use optic illusions to explain how visual information is processed

Elon Musk is optimistic about his “Blindsight” implant for vision restoration, “Resolution will be low at first…, but ultimately may exceed normal human vision.” Engineers may assume that more electrodes = better vision, but our visual system works entirely differently from a computer monitor. Neurons aren’t tiny dots of light; each neuron encodes a complex pattern. A single star—or one bright pixel—produces activity across hundreds of neurons in visual cortex. Reproducing natural vision will not only require thousands of electrodes - it will also require ‘hacking’ this complex neural code.

Have you ever wondered how your body processes pain, or wished we didn’t feel it at all? While pain protects us, chronic pain affects millions globally. Tiny clusters of nerves called dorsal root ganglia, located near the spinal cord, detect pain signals and send them to the brain, inducing the experience of pain. In this talk, we'll explore how the brain processes pain, what happens when it lingers, and how scientists use colourful techniques to find new treatments.