An Eye for Cognitive Innovation

Season 2, Episode 14

Leave it to Cognitive Psychologists to get us inspired by how our brains process what we see. That’s what Dr. Mike Hout does when he reveals how the most interesting parts of vision happen behind the scenes—in other words, how we interpret motion, color and shape. Learn more about the research Dr. Hout conducts in his lab at New Mexico State University, and his take on using technology to help people control computers through—you guessed it—eye movement.

 

Guest Biography

Anthony Barnhart is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  He received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Arizona State University, where he began his graduate career with the intention of being a language researcher. To this end, he has published research examining the processes underlying handwritten word perception, a domain that has been largely ignored by psychologists. However, Tony is also a part-time professional magician with over 20 years of performing experience. His research trajectory changed in 2010 with the publication of the book Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about our Everyday Deceptions, in which he was featured as a consultant and teacher on the science of stage magic. The scientific interest that the book garnered motivated Tony to shift his focus toward the interface of science and magic. His current research on the topic explores inattentional blindness and the techniques magicians use to manipulate attentional deployment in time. He regularly teaches a college course devoted to the cognitive science of magic. More information is available at www.AnthonyBarnhart.com.