Blind man gives demonstration of 'blindsight'

A man who was left completely blind by a series of strokes has delighted scientists by negotiating a maze of obstacles without using his cane.The man, known only as TN, walked around chairs and boxes without knocking into them in an extraordinary demonstration of "blindsight", a strange ability some blind people have to detect objects they cannot see.Scans of the man's brain revealed that a succession of strokes had left him unable to see, while brain regions known to process visual information were completely inactive.Nevertheless, the man is able to react to facial expressions, registering emotions such as joy and anger.Scientists at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands believe people with blindsight are unwittingly tapping into alternative brain circuitry that lets them process information their eyes are receiving.In the experiment, scientists created an obstacle course from boxes and chairs and asked the man to negotiate it without his stick...

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