April 03, 2006

Wired for Celebrities

Latest research shows up that a single neuron can recognize people, landmarks, and objects--even letter strings of names ("H-A-L-L-E-B-E-R-R-Y"). The findings, reported in the current issue of the journal Nature, suggest that a consistent, sparse, and explicit code may play a role in transforming complex visual representations into long-term and more abstract memories.

Maybe that's why we're so quick in recognizing celebrities...

Tagged