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3/12/13

The visual system can be viewed as organized hierarchically, ranging from many general-purpose detectors (such as the detectors for local contrast, or oriented lines in the retina and primary visual cortex) to very specialized detectors at later stages.

Desimone R, Albright TD, Gross CG, Bruce C. (1984) Stimulus-selective properties of inferior temporal neurons in the macaque. J Neurosci. 4(8):2051-62.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=6470767&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSumhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=6470767&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSum1_20._Grandmother_cells_files/Desimone_JNeuro_1984.pdfshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1

It has been controversial as to just how specific these neurons can be expected to get: if we look hard enough, can we find a neuron that only responds to your grandmother’s face?


Probably not.  But, amazingly, there are neurons that are tuned for faces in general.  The most compelling early work on face detectors actually came from studies with monkeys who, not surprisingly, have detectors for monkey faces.  The evidence is provided here on the right.


Note that though these detectors respond most strongly to monkey faces, they also have a slight response for human faces and, strangely enough, toilet brushes.  This is because these things - human faces and toilet brushes - bear some resemblance to monkey faces.  More, at least, than say an image of red square or a tree.

And, once we know all this, couldn’t we in principle read your mind?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nsjDnYxJ0bo