August Roundtable 2025

Why Do Things Look Large or Small?

Abstract: One fundamental function of our visual system is to determine how large things are. However, despite over century of modern research, the neural mechanisms underlying this ability remain elusive. I will present results of fMRI and psychophysics experiments in which we sought to better understand the contribution of different levels of processing to our perception of visual object size. Moreover, I will attempt to answer why the Auckland Sky Tower seems to constantly change size.

Bio: Sam studied basic neuroscience at Cardiff University and then did his PhD there to investigate the early postnatal development of the visual cortex. In 2007, he did his first postdoc at the University of Birmingham where he researched perceptual learning with fMRI. Then, he moved to the FIL and ICN at University College London where he developed an interest in subjective perception and population receptive field methods. In 2013, he started his own lab in UCL Experimental Psychology. Finally, in 2017 he saw the light and moved to the Southern Hemisphere to take up a position at the University of Auckland.

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