ScAm - 09.2019

44 Scientific American, September 2019 Illustration by Matteo Farinella

Origins of Perception

The classical view of perception ( blue panel Êš ̧§läîšDîžîžäDlžßxîÿž³l ̧ÿ ̧³î ̧D³xĀîxß³D§ßxD§žîāÍ3x³ä ̧ßā䞐³D§ä‹ ̧ÿ…ß ̧­îšxU ̧îî ̧­ øÇjx³îxߞ³îšxUßDž³îšß ̧øšßxxÇî ̧ßäž³ ̧øßxāxäjxDßäj³ ̧äxjî ̧³øxD³l䦞³î ̧ßxþxD§îšx ̧øîäžlxÿ ̧ߧlî ̧øäDäžîžäÍ5 ̧ǝl ̧ÿ³䞐³D§ä
ÿžîšž³îšxUßDž³äxß þx ̧³§āî ̧‰³xääxÿšDîžäÇxßxžþxlͳîšxÇßxlžîž ̧³­Dšž³xþžxÿ ̧…ÇxßxÇîž ̧³Égreen panel ), in contrast, perceptual
̧³îx³îžäDßߞxlUāî ̧ǝl ̧ÿ³Çßxlžîž ̧³ä­DlxUāîšxUßDž³UDäxl ̧³Çߞ ̧ßxĀÇxߞx³xÍ
̧îî ̧­øÇ䞐³D§ä…ø³îž ̧³­Dž³§āî ̧ ̧³þxāÇßx
lžîž ̧³xßß ̧ßäjÿšžšßxž³ž³îšxUßDž³ÜäšāÇ ̧îšxäxäÍ0xßxÇîž ̧³žäîšøäD ̧³îß ̧§§xlšD§§ø`ž³Dîž ̧³ž³ä­ ̧lx§Í

CLASSICAL MODEL PREDICTION MACHINE MODEL

Sensory

input: apple

Context: food

Strong

bottom-up

signals

Top-down

signals

Bottom-up

signals

Strong

top-down

signals

Sensory

prediction

error: fruit Face?