Speaker: Prof Karl Gegenfurtner (Giessen University)

Title: Why we look where we do

Abstract: The existence of a central fovea, the small retinal region with high analytical performance, is arguably the most prominent design feature of the primate visual system. This centralization comes along with the corresponding capability to move the eyes to reposition the fovea continuously. I will present work on eye movements and their interactions with visual perception that addresses the question why do we look where we do, and what it is good for? I will argue that a multitude of different circuits related to salience, object recognition, actions, and value ultimately interact to determine gaze behavior.