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Margaux Kearney's picture

What is "seeing"?

After today's class discussion on whether we could see with our eyes closed, I decided to research the subject online. I came upon a quote that I thought was thoroughly interesting and pertinent to the topic: "Our eyes do not see, but we see with our eyes" (Walls, 1963, from The Vertebrate Eye). In class, we were asked to close our eyes and say whether or not we could see. When our eyes are closed, we cannot identify objects and shapes, but only can detect light and the changes in the amount of light. Our visual sense depends directly on reflected light. Objects in our environment reflect light that then enters our eyes, forms an image and transmits information to our brain for processing. Advanced human vision is due to a highly complex brain working with a simple lens eye. If we close our eyes, we cannot form any images and transmit information to the brain for processing (cannot see).

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