Making Sense of Sensory Information 2008
Distributed by Davidson Films, Inc., 735 Tank Farm Rd, Suite 210, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401; 888-437-4200
Produced by Frances Davidson
Directed by John Davidson
DVD, color, 37 min.
College - Adult
Health Sciences, Neuroscience, Vision
Date Entered: 12/18/2008
Reviewed by Lori Widzinski, Health Sciences Library, University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkDavidson Films has made another fine science program for students in the senior high through college years. This time tackling the amazingly interesting field of human sensory information, and zeroing in on vision and perception.
The film’s writer, Dr. Dale Purves of Duke University, has been a neuroscience researcher for the past 40 years, and also serves as the narrator for the film. He begins with a very brief history of the British Empiricist School and the teachings of Berkeley, Locke and Hume, and how they formed the trial and error methodology that science uses today. This sets the stage for the underlying explanation as to why our brains have evolved to interpret what we see, rather than rely on the strict sizes, colors, and shapes in the physical environment.
An overview of the human visual system uses computer-generated graphics to review rods and cones and their functions; the brain’s dorsal stream in seeing motion; visual sensitivity, acuity and receptive field characteristics of the brain. The patterns of light on our retinas are not the same as the patterns we find in the measurable world. The film delves deeper into perception, looking at lightness and darkness, color, motion, and form, explaining each of these sensory attributes and how their physical features differ from what our eyes and brain perceive. As Dr. Purves points out, perception is a reflexive action that runs counter to all our intuition about vision. Why would this occur? Back to the empirical reasoning of trial and error, and through the evolution of our ancestors, as perception improved so did the associated behaviors needed to survive.
Making Sense of Sensory Information does just that, and is a good length for classroom viewing. The colorful graphics are first-rate and do a nice job of simplifying and illustrating concepts, together with film of “optical illusion” experiments and their application in everyday life. Narration is a little humdrum, but content easily overrides that criticism. Recommended for science collections in senior high through college level libraries.