Flies evade your swatting thanks to sophisticated vision and neural shortcuts

Why is it so difficult to swat a fly? A team of insect experts explains how a fly’s sophisticated vision allows it to quickly react to visual cues.

Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Florida International University • conversation
Aug. 17, 2022 ~8 min

The tongue: how one of the body's most sensitive organs is helping blind people 'see'

A device could be use to transmit a camera’s video feed into moving patterns of electrical stimulation on the surface of the tongue.

Mike Richardson, Research Associate in Psychology, University of Bath • conversation
Aug. 1, 2022 ~7 min


New eye drops can help aging people see better – an optometrist explains how Vuity treats presbyopia

As people age, their eyes lose the ability to focus on close objects. A new eye drop treatment called Vuity can improve vision without the need for glasses, contacts or surgery.

Robert Bittner, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences • conversation
May 5, 2022 ~8 min

Why do cats' eyes glow in the dark?

A veterinary ophthalmologist explains what’s going on.

Braidee Foote, Clinical Assistant Professor of Veterinary Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee • conversation
April 11, 2022 ~6 min

Pseudo-hallucinations: why some people see more vivid mental images than others – test yourself here

Experiment that creates altered states of consciousness sheds light on an old problem.

Reshanne Reeder, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Edge Hill University • conversation
June 22, 2021 ~6 min

Nocturnal dinosaurs: Night vision and superb hearing in a small theropod suggest it was a moonlight predator

By looking at the eye bones and ear canals of extinct dinosaurs, researchers show that a small ancient predator likely hunted at night and had senses as good as a modern barn owl.

Roger Benson, Professor of Palaeobiology, University of Oxford • conversation
May 6, 2021 ~9 min

Do you see red like I see red?

Neuroscientists tackling the age-old question of whether perceptions of color hold from one person to the next are coming up with some interesting answers.

Danny Garside, Visiting Fellow in Sensation, Cognition & Action, National Institutes of Health • conversation
Feb. 5, 2021 ~8 min

Why do scientists care about worms?

'Worm' is really a catchall term for a huge variety of animals with different characteristics that span the tree of life. They hold clues about our own origins as well as hints about human health.

Helen Robertson, Postdoctoral Scholar of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago • conversation
Dec. 10, 2020 ~7 min


Why do tigers have stripes?

How do tigers – a top predator – successfully hunt their prey when they have bright orange fur? The secret's in their stripes!

Andrew Cushing, Assistant Professor in Zoological Medicine, University of Tennessee • conversation
Nov. 23, 2020 ~6 min

Why do tigers have different stripe patterns?

How do tigers – a top predator – successfully hunt their prey when they have bright orange fur? The secret's in their stripes!

Andrew Cushing, Assistant Professor in Zoological Medicine, University of Tennessee • conversation
Nov. 23, 2020 ~6 min

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