Human Use of Echolocation

Daniel Kish wears prosthetic eyeballs. Legally blind, he produces short, sharp clicks with his tongue in order to navigate. He can describe the architecture of buildings one thousand feet away, and describe the distance, size, shape and texture of objects without touching them by using echolocatio . He can dance, ride a bike and even roller blade.

By having two ears, we are able to have the same sort of depth perception that we have with vision. We also hear better than we see. This is why it is so easy to have certain three dimensional illusions. For example we can see a shape in three dimensions on a computer screen, but we will always know it is an image. Meanwhile you will never see a shape that is behind you, but you will hear it.

The processing of these clicks takes place partially in the visual cortex. It is typical that regions essential for visual processing take on new roles in the brains of blind subjects. After all a piece of folk psychology that we are all familiar with is that blind people have exceptional hearing. And while I want to write this off as an example of the marvelous plasticitic brain, the truth is also that blind people must practice this skill, because they rely on it so much more.

A (Simple) Digital Neural Network

My friend Reed at UMASS is an ex-computer-science-turned-neuroscience-major. In his free time he writes programs, and quotes Sam Harris. The first program he ever showed me was a simple neural network which simulates how action potentials work. A little simple at the moment, but still impressive! I am sure various uses could be found for virtual networks like this on larger, and more complex scales.

Also worth mentioning are the small programs he writes that auto generate absurd visual eye candy.  Note: if you have elipsy, some of these programs might give you a seizure.

AAAAGGRRHHH FUCK YOU REED

His Tumblr has more similar applications. If being sucked through a computer and dying from lack of oxygen while being hurled through the Internet was an actual way to die, I am sure it would look like these programs.

The book is Head First Java, published by O'Reily.

These seemingly simple programs go to show how valuable the skill of computer programming is in the field of neuroscience. Why would any research lab in the country not want someone who knows their way around computer code? When I asked Reed how he learned how to program, he took out a Java book as thick as the phone book and said he read it cover to cover.

In fact Reed, if you never graduate I am sure that you can make a profitable business teaching other people to program. Look, I have already got a potential advertising campaign set up:

Just as Reed Silverstein has conquered the vicious Lizard King,
you too can learn how to conquer computer programming through him.

Naturally I expect a fifty percent cut of all profits.