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{"source_url": "http://www.naturalnews.com", "url": "http://www.naturalnews.com/2020-01-01-how-your-inner-pickpocket-identifies-objects.html", "title": "Scientists explain how the brain\u2019s \u201cinner pickpocket\u201d identifies objects", "top_image": "https://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2020/01/Hand-Farmer-Touching-Ripening-Wheat-Ears.jpg", "meta_img": "https://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2020/01/Hand-Farmer-Touching-Ripening-Wheat-Ears.jpg", "images": ["http://www.naturalnews.com/\\Images/Close-30x30-White.svg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Climate-News.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Medicine-News.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Science-News.jpg", "https://www.naturalnews.com/Images/Masthead-Newsletter-Jul-2019.png", "https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/comstock/Vitamin-Bottle-Spill.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/Images/ReaderRegistration-Hand-Phone-Newsletter.png", "http://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/themes/naturalnews-child/images/Have-A-News-Tip-v2.gif", "http://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/themes/naturalnews-child/images/Google-Play-117x40.png", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Herbs-News.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/Images/ReaderRegistration-Icon-Close-White.svg", "https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/fotolia/broccoli.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/themes/naturalnews-child/images/MW-White.png", "https://www.naturalnews.com/images/Download-Apple-App-Store.svg", "https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/dir/logos/NP-Social-Symbol.jpg", "https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/webseed/wholeherbs.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Survival-News.jpg", "https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/photoscom/groceryshopping.jpg", "https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/articles/HonestFoodGuide_135.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/plugins/vps/img/fb.png", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Glitch-News.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/themes/naturalnews-child/images/GAB-White.png", "http://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/themes/naturalnews-child/images/D-White.png", "https://www.naturalnews.com/images/Science-NaturalNews.jpg", "https://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2020/01/Hand-Farmer-Touching-Ripening-Wheat-Ears.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/Images/ReaderRegistration-CornerTab.png", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Food-News.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/themes/naturalnews-child/images/SI-White.png", "https://www.naturalnews.com/Images/ReaderRegistration-Icon-Close-White.svg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Cancer-News.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2020/01/Hand-Farmer-Touching-Ripening-Wheat-Ears.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Health-News.jpg", "https://www.etrust.pro/cgi-bin/trust/image.cgi?ID=499;size=M", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Gear-News.jpg", "http://www.naturalnews.com/Images/ReaderRegistration-Mike-Adams-300.png", "http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Pollution-News.jpg", "https://www.naturalnews.com/Images/NaturalNews-App-300x130-v3.jpg"], "movies": [], "text": "(Natural News) How do skilled pickpockets figure out an object with just the slightest touch? A study from the University of Cambridge and Columbia University revealed that the brain can identify an object\u2019s properties using purely statistical information.\n\nIn sum, everyone has an \u201cinner pickpocket\u201d lurking inside them.\n\nThis interesting finding not only explains why this form of thievery is effective, but it also serves a practical purpose: It allows a person, for instance, to determine if something looks good on them \u2013 just by looking at it.\n\nAccording to the researchers, this ability stems from how humans handle the steady stream of data obtained by their sensory input. The brain divides that nonstop information into discrete chunks for easier management.\n\nFor example, a window shopper\u2019s sense of sight deciphers photons as reflected light from the objects in the storefront. Similarly, a pickpocket renders the series of small depressions on their fingers as a sequence corresponding to an object in a pocket or bag. (Related: Can your inbuilt \u201ccompass\u201d respond to changes in Earth\u2019s magnetic field?)\n\nThe brain consults earlier experiences to make guesses about new objects\n\nHumans rely on their senses to interact with their surroundings, often relying on sight and touch to identify objects in a heaping mess. Through these senses, they can predict how they feel about it using sight, or what it feels like using touch.\n\nTheir brain delivers on those requirements by running statistical analyses of earlier experience. Based on the existing data, it may infer the properties of a newly-encountered object. Simultaneously, it may immediately guess the identity of an item despite having no obvious clue, such as well-defined shapes.\n\nSponsored: NEW Biostructured Silver First Aid Gel created by the Health Ranger combines three types of silver (ionic silver, colloidal silver, biostructured silver) with seven potent botanicals (rosemary, oregano, cinnamon and more) to create a breakthrough first aid silver gel. Over 50 ppm silver, verified via ICP-MS lab analysis. Made from 100% Texas rain water and 70% solar power. Zero chemical preservatives, fragrances or emulsifiers. See full details here.\n\nIn the study, co-lead author Mate Lengyel and his team looked at how the brain took in the continuous flow of sensory information and divided that data into objects. The researchers then compared the earlier data to the new sensory input.\n\n\u201cThe common view is that the brain receives [specialized] cues: such as edges or occlusions, about where one [thing] ends and another thing begins, but we\u2019ve found that the brain is a really smart statistical machine: It looks for patterns and finds building blocks to construct objects,\u201d Lengyel added.\n\nEveryone has an \u201cinner pickpocket\u201d that guesses what the hidden object looks or feels like\n\nThe research team set up scenarios with abstract shapes that lacked distinct boundaries between them. Their subjects either watched the objects on a screen or tugged them apart along a tear line. The line went either through or between the objects. Next, the participants performed tests that evaluated their ability to predict the visual and haptic characteristics of the jigsaw puzzles.\n\nThe visual exams determined the familiarity of the jigsaw pieces compared to abstract shapes made from the parts of two different objects. Meanwhile, the haptic tests investigated the difficulty of physically tearing new scenes apart in different directions.\n\nThey learned that participants succeeded in assembling the right mental model of the jigsaw pieces using only visual or touch-based experiences. Further, the subjects immediately predicted the haptic properties of an object from the visible characteristics and vice versa.\n\n\u201cThese results challenge classical views on how we extract and learn about objects in our environment,\u201d explained Lengyel. \u201cInstead, we\u2019ve [shown] that general-purpose statistical computations known to operate in even the youngest infants are sufficiently powerful for achieving such cognitive feats.\u201d\n\nSources include:\n\nDailyMail.co.uk\n\nScienceDaily.com\n\neLifeSciences.org", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": ["brain function", "health", "science", "senses", "brain activity", "brain function", "goodscience", "human brain", "human senses", "memory and thinking", "neurology", "perception", "pickpocketing", "real science", "research", "sense of sight", "sense of touch", "senses", "weird science"], "tags": ["perception", "research", "sense of sight", "memory and thinking", "neurology", "pickpocketing", "human senses", "real science", "human brain", "sense of touch", "weird science", "senses", "goodscience", "brain activity", "brain function"], "authors": ["Edsel Cook", "Wednesday", "January"], "publish_date": "Wed Jan 1 00:00:00 2020", "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "wp-content/themes/naturalnews-child/images/icon.ico", "meta_data": {"robots": "noodp,noydir", "viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1", "keywords": "brain function,health,science,senses,brain activity,brain function,goodscience,human brain,human senses,memory and thinking,neurology,perception,pickpocketing,real science,research,sense of sight,sense of touch,senses,weird science", "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "site": "@healthranger", "creator": "@healthranger", "url": "https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-01-01-how-your-inner-pickpocket-identifies-objects.html", "title": "Scientists explain how the brain\u2019s \u201cinner pickpocket\u201d identifies objects", "description": "How do skilled pickpockets figure out an object with just the slightest touch? A study from the\u00a0University of Cambridge and\u00a0Columbia University revealed that the brain can identify an [...]", "image": "https://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2020/01/Hand-Farmer-Touching-Ripening-Wheat-Ears.jpg"}, "fb": {"app_id": 136224268059}, "og": {"locale": "en_US", "site_name": "NaturalNews.com", "title": "Scientists explain how the brain's \u201cinner pickpocket\u201d identifies objects", "url": "https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-01-01-how-your-inner-pickpocket-identifies-objects.html", "type": "article", "updated_time": "2020-01-01T21:59:26+00:00", "description": "How do skilled pickpockets figure out an object with just the slightest touch? A study from the\u00a0University of Cambridge and\u00a0Columbia University revealed that the brain can identify an object's properties using purely statistical information.\r\n\r\nIn sum, everyone has an \u201cinner pickpocket\u201d lurking", "image": "https://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2020/01/Hand-Farmer-Touching-Ripening-Wheat-Ears.jpg"}, "article": {"published_time": "2020-01-01T21:59:26+00:00", "modified_time": "2020-01-01T21:59:26+00:00", "section": "Senses"}}, "canonical_link": "http://www.naturalnews.com/2020-01-01-how-your-inner-pickpocket-identifies-objects.html"} |
