Influence of Images on Perception, Understanding, and Personality

March 17, 2015, GPU Technology Conference, San Jose, CA—Don Levy from Smith Brook Farm Consulting looked at the intersection of art and science. The ease in creating new types of images is enabling the emergence of a new type of mind.

There is actually little difference between art and science. Both start with the observation of something. While an artist will try to show some facet of the observation, the scientist will try to understand its meaning. The reduction in the barriers for image creation are blurring the lines between the fantastic and the real. The inherent clues people depend on to determine truth are becoming less valid.

Research into brain maps have identified the main areas of activity for visual stimuli. In a cinema setting, three-fourths of the audience have the same areas of the brain showing similar levels of activity. This group immersion is one of the clues we use for reality verification. The same group of test subjects have random activation of brain activity when shown random scenes.

In work with the ETC at USC, they are looking at the influence of AR and VR and their effect on the role of the director. They are trying to see if the cues from game play can be adapted to cinema. The issue is that image processing takes about 13 ms in most people, versus 100 ms for words, and 300-500 ms for lexicography. In comparison, audio responses are in the microsecond range. This response has evolved to provide non-line of sight perception for our ancestors.

The impact of images also affects other development. One example of movies as an influencer is “Fantastic Voyage”. Another is the commonality of the Wonderful World of Disney for many growing up in the ’50’s and ’60’s. The images were good enough to provide suggestions of what to look at and of a sense of the world. In ’68, we got “2001” which was 1-year before the first moon landing. These images provided a visual quest for excellence.

Now, we have movies like “Interstellar”, which changes the view of worlds and space. Video games have changed from “Pong” to the almost photo-realistic “Grand Theft Auto”. This next generation of entertainment provides all the visual clues of reality as the influence of game interfaces and technologies become pervasive. The social and cultural factors will have to change to reflect a new reality.

In the past, we had three TV networks, which provided order and structure and developed a common perception. Now, the increasing segmentation of video and entertainment is creating a new set of common standards; reality, virtual reality, and distorted reality. We will have to look at the challenges as the rocket fuel of change as obstacles stop being a barrier, but become a source for inspiration. The changes in technology are leading to changes in approaches and a permission-less environment. The technologies will reduce barriers to make the effort to new ways of presentation.

For example, code.org developed an exercise around the “Frozen” film. In effect, the game teaches 4-8 year old children how to code software. It also helps to reduce the gender gap in technology. The new brain will be a fusion of man and machine, but we still need a way to separate fact from fiction. The only way is to find a path of visual literacy for all. Visual literacy will call for new skills and critical thinking that is missing in our schools. Things we imagine today will become part of our lives tomorrow.