Re: strabonic exploit

On 8/27/2005 3:05 PM Lloyd Erlick spake thus:

http://albumen.stanford.edu/library/monographs/sunbeam/toc.html

Towler, John. The Silver Sunbeam. Joseph H.
Ladd, New York: 1864. Electronic edition
prepared from facsimile edition of Morgan and
Morgan, Inc., Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.
Second printing, Feb. 1974. ISBN 871000-005-9

a quote from:

Chapter XLI.
STEREOSCOPICITY.

...
Eyes may be tutored to see two photographs in
relief by the following expedients, and
without the aid of stereoscopes.

...The student ... has to learn to see
double. This is effected by holding up the
thumb before the eyes, so as to see two
thumbs; when he is expert at this, let him
next hold up in front of his eyes, at the
regular reading distance, both his thumbs,
and try if he can see four thumbs.

This struck me, as it pretty well describes my normal vision; I was born cross-eyed, had an operation at ~4 years which was supposed to correct this, but didn't, the result of which I have a permanent strabismus. (My eyes don't converge; my "bad" eye strays about 10-15° outward.) The upshot of which is I only look out of one eye. I can *see* out of both eyes, but I shut one of them off (basically, ignore it) internally; otherwise, I'd see double (which used to happen and gave me whanging headaches as a kid).

An interesting aspect of this is that I don't feel any deficit whatsoever in terms of depth perception. So apparently binocular vision isn't necessary for this. In fact, I'd say that stereoscopic vision (in humans, anyhow) is highly overrated. (Since I still see out of the "other" eye, it probably contributes something to my overall perception, and were I to lose the eye, it might affect depth perception. Also, I can't "get" those kewl images-hidden-in-random-patterns pictures.)

I may be taking a job with a one-eyed employer; perhaps if circumstances are right I might get a chance to ask him about his sense of depth.


--
- The French Revolutionary Calendar (in use 1793-1806):

* Vendémiaire (from Latin vindemia, "vintage") Starting Sept 22, 23 or 24
* Brumaire (from French brume, "mist") Starting Oct 22, 23 or 24
* Frimaire (From French frimas, "frost") Starting Nov 21, 22 or 23
* Nivôse (from Latin nivosus, "snowy") Starting Dec 21, 22 or 23
* Pluviôse (from Latin pluviosus, "rainy") Starting Jan 20, 21 or 22
* Ventôse (from Latin ventosus, "windy") Starting Feb 19, 20 or 21
* Germinal (from Latin germen, "seed") Starting Mar 20 or 21
* Floréal (from Latin flor, "flower") Starting Apr 20 or 21
* Prairial (from French prairie, "meadow") Starting May 20 or 21
* Messidor (from Latin messis, "harvest") Starting Jun 19 or 20
* Thermidor (from Greek thermos, "hot") Starting Jul 19 or 20
* Fructidor (from Latin fructus, "fruits") Starting Aug 18 or 19

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: strabonic exploit
    ... >>> thumb before the eyes, ... >>> and try if he can see four thumbs. ... I'd say that stereoscopic vision (in ... >> and were I to lose the eye, it might affect depth perception. ...
    (rec.photo.darkroom)
  • Re: 26 times more likely?
    ... >But thumbs don't reach to the bottom of a peanut butter jar- and I didn't ... >lose anything at an airport I gots to go look for. ... >'thumbs in the eyes'? ... Yea, ick. ...
    (rec.martial-arts)
  • Re: Weapons Challenge - 1
    ... Two in the eyes, with no mercy. ... Putting both thumbs in the eyes of your ... attacker requires you to get in very close - he has a knife, ... Well he has not figured that a pair of scissors stuck in his eye may be more ...
    (rec.martial-arts)