Instructor: Barry Winkler
Course Time: TR 8:00-9:47
General Education: Natural Science
Term: Fall 2013
Description:
This course will explore the long asked but still unanswered question, “How does the way the eye is made affect our ability to interact with the world.” We will examine the visual process and the anatomy, physiology and function of the eye and visual pathways. Focus (no pun intended!) will be on various aspects of vision including normal light perception and all of its variations (astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness, changes with age), diseases of the eye (glaucoma, cataract, retinal disease) that alter the manner in which the eye perceives an object. Topics will also include the processing of motion, form, face recognition and color from the rod and cone photoreceptors to the visual cortex and to higher order cortical centers. In addition, we explore the workings of the eye and vision and apply this knowledge to animal behavior and human endeavors such as art, literature and sport.
Texts:
- Margaret Livingstone, “Vision and Art: The Biology of Vision”
- Oliver Sacks, ‘Island of the Colorblind
- Oliver Sacks, “The Mind’s Eye”
- Scientific American articles and articles on vision in the original literature