Its not what you look at that matters

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. ” Henry David Thoreau SENSORY PERCEPTION

“The Blind Men and the Elephant” by John Godfrey Saxe (Indian Legend, metaphor, genius. ) Beau Lotto: Optical Illusions

PARAMETERS � Define � the sensory perception: awareness of things through our 5 senses. � The response of our senses to stimuli � Sensation + Interpretation = Perception

CONNECT TO LANGUAGE: DEFINITION THEORY See page 98 of your books: The tree in the forest example… Does “sound” only exist if we are there to hear it? Or does sound exist outside of experience? (see blog!) http: //frizzelltok. blogspot. com

� Empiricism: a school of philosophy in which ALL knowledge is based in sensory perception/experience. � New blog asks you to think of living for one year without each sense; what would you miss most?

CAN IT BE? ODDITIES OF SENSE PERCEPTION Daniel Tammet: Born on a Blue Day (Author) Daniel Tammet has a rare form of autism which pairs with synesthesia, meaning, he sees numbers in color and texture, thereby allowing him to remember and relate numbers in an extraordinary fashion.

2/28 ANNOUNCEMENTS � EE: Topics due Friday. Questions? See Ms. Cordell ASAP! � If you missed Monday, you should have already met with Ms. Cordell to get the information! � LANGUAGE QUIZ—Make up is today @ 2: 00.

ESREF ARMAGAN Esref was born blind. How then, can he paint with such stunning accuracy…without help?

BEETHOVEN: DEAF COMPOSER � Imagine creating this piece of music…if you were deaf!

SOME QUESTIONS What do you think of the statement, “Your perception is your reality”? Can you think of examples where this is true and not true? Are there any areas of knowledge that do not rely in some way on sensory perception? In what ways is perception ambiguous?

� COMMON SENSE REALISM: perception is straight-forward an accurate reflection of reality. “Our conscious world is a grand illusion!” (this statement based in the fact that our interpretation of sensations is dependent on our brains) see pg. 23 of packet. “The tickle is not in the feather” says Galileo.

ILLUSIONS Context, figure and ground, visual grouping… Gestalt theory: we tend to perceive things in meaningful patterns or groups rather than separate parts.

AND EXPECTATION…IN REAL LIFE! � http: //www. npr. org/blogs/health/2013/02/11/171409656/why-even-radiologists-can-miss-a-gorilla-hiding-in-plain-sight

WHAT SOUNDS TELL US… (FREEZE THIS SCREEN!) Example 1: Example 2: Example 3: Example 4: Example 5: Example 6:

SOME MORE QUESTIONS What role does instinct play in what we perceive? To what extent does culture affect the ways in which we see the world? How does your emotional state affect your perception?

Where does “confirmation bias” become a problem of knowledge in sensory perception?