The science of seeing differen

The truths about the brain and its perceptions will be explored by neuroscientist and founder of Lab of Misfits Studio at a free University of Bristol public lecture in November.

Neuroscientist Dr Beau Lotto, Founder and CEO of Lab of Misfits Studio, the world’s first neuro-design studio, will give this year’s annual Richard Gregory Memorial Lecture, held in memory of the great interdisciplinary thinker and University of Bristol academic, Professor Richard Gregory.

The lecture, entitled The science of seeing differently, will take place on Friday 3 November at 6 pm in Lecture Room 1, School of Experimental Psychology, Priory Road Complex, Priory Road, Bristol. The event is organised by the Bristol Vision Institute (BVI).

Dr Lotto will reveal the startling truths about the brain and its perceptions, by showing through unique real-world ‘experiential-experiments’ that perception is the foundation of human experience.

Dr Lotto said:

“We can’t always trust what we see, whenever we open our eyes we never see what’s there, we only ever see what was useful to see in the past.”

Professor David Bull, Director of BVI and Professor of Signal Processing in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, added:

“We have two basic requirements for the Richard Gregory Memorial Lecture – firstly that it’s about exciting contemporary issues in vision science and secondly that it covers something Richard would have enjoyed. Beau’s lecture will excite both specialist and non-specialist audiences and I am certain Richard would have enjoyed it.”

Beau’s first exhibition Alice in Wonderland: through the looking glass was staged alongside his mentor, Professor Richard Gregory, in We the Curious (formerly known as At-Bristol). The exhibition invited young and not-so-young visitors to explore how their brains perceive visual images.

Dr Lotto will join an exciting list of speakers to have delivered this prestigious lecture in previous years, including Anya Hurlbert, Professor of Visual Neuroscience and Director of the Centre for Translational Systems Neuroscience at Newcastle University; Dr Andrew Watson, a pioneer in vision science at NASA Ames Research Center; Vilayanur Ramachandran, from the University of California – one of the world’s leading visual neuroscientists; David Sproxton, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman Animations, the BBC Controller of Research and Development, Matthew Postgate, and Dr Keith Scholey, Director of Silverback Films and Wildscreen Trustee

Admission is free but advance booking is essential through Eventbrite. For further information about the lecture contact email [email protected]

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