Changizi.jpg

Mark Changizi

What Dictionaries and Optical Illusions Say About Our Brains

Scientific American: Although many neuroscientists are trying to figure out how the brain works, Mark Changizi is bent on determining why it works that way. In the past, the assistant professor of cognitive science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has demonstrated that the shapes of letters in 100 writing systems reflect common ones seen in nature: Take the letter "A"—it looks like a mountain, he says. And "Y" might remind one of a tree with branches. He also showed that across different languages most characters take three strokes to write out. That's because, he says, three is the highest quantity a person's brain can perceive without resorting to counting. But Changizi's theories aren't limited to writing. He also believes that primates developed the ability to see in color so that they could figure out if peers were sending emotional cues. He hatched that theory by comparing the light wavelengths given off by the facial skin of someone blushing to that of a person not flushed. The prolific Changizi recently published two papers: one that sets out to explain how our lexical systems evolved and another that suggests how the brain's visual system is adapted to anticipate the future a fraction of a second before we actually see it>>>FULL TEXT
(See related slideshow here.)

from shoosh
02-Jun-2008
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Sheikh Spear

by Anonymous77 (not verified) on Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:48 AM PDT

Come to think of it, you're probably right.
Still, leaves that colour business.


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Chop Sew E

by Shaykh Spear (not verified) on Sat Jun 07, 2008 02:16 PM PDT

//www.cchar.com/

Chinese characters are clusters, compound glyphs. I would not be surprised that the average strokes were in fact 3 per 'semantic unit'.


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Is he on the wrong track?

by Anonymous77 (not verified) on Thu Jun 05, 2008 01:33 AM PDT

I suspect that yes, emotional cues are important, but surely seeing colours is more important in perceiving and deciphering symmetrical shapes, especially those which move in the wilderness (hunter/gatherer/prey etc...).

Also, don't Chinese characters have more than 3 strokes?


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His father was Iranian

by Ali Sharma (not verified) on Wed Jun 04, 2008 04:36 PM PDT

He gave a lecture to our school about 1.5 year ago. I spoke with him briefly about his name and origin, as i suspected he could be Iranian. He told me that he is half Iranian, half American. He was born in US and never been in Iran. His father passed away long time ago. He cannot speak Farsi or relate much to Iranian/ Persian culture (he wasn't raised in Iranian way).


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vow, ....

by nanza (not verified) on Wed Jun 04, 2008 12:34 PM PDT

so proud of him, but his last name, why would any proud iranian, choose a name as changiz.


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Dear Ladies

by ImtheKing (not verified) on Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:41 PM PDT

Khanoomayeh mohtaram,

It seems that this "beau gosse" don't spend his time to think on what you use to do everyday, so be more down to earth or change up your minds.

Best regards;


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He Should Be Iranian Of The Year!

by PaulaStratigos (not verified) on Tue Jun 03, 2008 06:52 PM PDT

Brilliant, and extremely handsome afarin, khelli afarin Mark...


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Oh my oh my TRES TRES TRES

by n.zanincanadai1 (not verified) on Tue Jun 03, 2008 06:35 PM PDT

Oh my oh my TRES TRES TRES Beau guy indeed, how did I miss this one today...I will write a poem about him. Who cares even if he IS married. Just pray that he is on my field. Thanks for this post. I wish we could have more of thse.


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Smart and handsome.

by Anonymoundo (not verified) on Tue Jun 03, 2008 04:12 PM PDT

Is he married?


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IRANdokht

Mr Faribors MD

by IRANdokht on Tue Jun 03, 2008 02:02 PM PDT

Are you trying to discredit scientific researches and discoveries? or are you only proving that you're against proper writing and grammar?

sorry... just couldn't make sense of it.

IRANdokht


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What Dictionaries and Optical Illusions Say About Our Brains?

by Faribors Maleknasri M.D. (not verified) on Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:33 AM PDT

Nothing.
a fundamental Law of physics learns us: Mesurings on a system - hier human brain - change its structure. So it is not possible to get informations about real State of the system. reading about the results of researches on brain of human beings is a very nice entertainment and one can learn a lot. But the true nature of the subject can not be verfeid. The anatomy - macroscopic and microscopic - is allready known. what the scientists are trying to explore is the function which is too complicated to be fully rxplored. The sciences and the scientifical resurches are, since the beginn of industrial aera, a tool in the hands of capitalism and are abused to enslave man. To make him to a workmashine. The sexuality of a single individual is in the western countries allready a "coomon wealth" and the individual is truncated to her/his own slave, the slave of her/his sexuality, which is poked permanently by "fredom" of speech and a number of other "freedom"s.
The resurches on Brain function is keen in the same purpose . However it seems to be not possible to achieve any "useable" results whioch would bring more profit. I think human beings had better let the fingers from Sciences. Nuclearsciences has brought atomic bombs, medical sciences has brought allergy and vulnerble Gen-Structures. If there were no Antiseptics the newbornes with "good" GENs would have survied and only they. Anyhow I think I would have not deneyd using antiseptics in obstetrics any way. Greeting


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Darius Kadivar

Vous avez Raison ;0)

by Darius Kadivar on Tue Jun 03, 2008 09:41 AM PDT

ImtheKing en effet


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Abarmard

Mark

by Abarmard on Tue Jun 03, 2008 09:00 AM PDT

Probably Mahran?


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To Dariush

by ImtheKing (not verified) on Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:39 PM PDT

on dit "Beau gosse" Dariush

However, With an occidental surname and a moghol name the 'gars' shall surely be iranian


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Darius Kadivar

Khoshteep !

by Darius Kadivar on Mon Jun 02, 2008 05:52 PM PDT

Beau Gars ! ...

 


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mashallaa!!

by Mehran- (not verified) on Mon Jun 02, 2008 04:08 PM PDT

I think he should be the iranian of the month

khoda negaresh dareh :0)


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