Human Whiskers

Scientists probe our sense of touch for a feedback loop between sensation and motion.

Written byKerry Grens
| 3 min read

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PERCEIVING TOUCH: Artificial whiskers placed on the index fingers of blindfolded and earplugged adults tease out the involvement of movement in tactile sensation.COURTESY OF EHUD AHISSAR

While it’s generally easy for humans to describe the color of an object or the feel of a fabric, neurobiologists have struggled to articulate the psychophysical mechanics of perception. Movement is nearly always part of sensing the world around us—we scan a room with our eyes or step back from a painting to get a different perspective; we tilt our heads to sniff; we lean in for a better listen; we stroke our babies’ heads to learn their contours. A central question, however, has been whether these physical movements are influenced by what they perceive. In other words, does perception shape our information-seeking activity or do we rely on predetermined data-gathering motions?

In vision, at least on a superficial level, it appears obvious that the ...

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  • kerry grens

    Kerry served as The Scientist’s news director until 2021. Before joining The Scientist in 2013, she was a stringer for Reuters Health, the senior health and science reporter at WHYY in Philadelphia, and the health and science reporter at New Hampshire Public Radio. Kerry got her start in journalism as a AAAS Mass Media fellow at KUNC in Colorado. She has a master’s in biological sciences from Stanford University and a biology degree from Loyola University Chicago.

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