Baby Chicks Reject Escher-esque Impossible Shapes
Are baby birds' brains hard-wired for 3-D perception? Understanding the difference between what's right and what's wrong - at least when it comes to the three-dimensional structure of objects - may be hard-wired from birth, researchers say. It might not be the result of seeing the world through binocular vision. Related ArticlesNew Mobile App Builds Realistic 3-D Models From Cell Phone Camera SnapshotsMetamaterial 'Space-Time Cloak' Conceals Not Just Objects, But Entire Events When Life Flashes Before Your Eyes: A 15-Story Drop to Study the Brain's Internal Timewarp TagsScience, Rebecca Boyle, 3-D, animals, chickens, geometry, imaginary objects, impossible structures, learning, perceptionIn a new study, newborn chicks were confused by an M.C Escher-style drawing of an impossible object, with the majority of the birds choosing an accurate 2-D depiction of a 3-D cube. A group of Italian researchers kept 66 chicks in the dark for their first 24 hours of life, ensuring they had...