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To me, the issue would be at what level you mean the word 'understand'. We know that vision is an interaction between the biological and the psychological. All we 'see' with our brains is a pattern of cell firings in the occipital region of the brain. The mind needs to interpret what that means. For example, despite all the squishy movies where someone's sight is restored and they can see perfectly, most people in that situation need to learn what they're seeing.
An experiment done with kittens years ago showed that depth perception is learned. Two groups of kittens were compared -- one set raised in the dark from birth, and another set raised in normal conditions. When put into a maze at six weeks, the dark-raised kittens walked into walls and had a great deal of trouble with the maze -- for the first three attempts. Then they had adapted to depth perception and there was no difference from the kittens raised in light who had no trouble the first time in the maze.
So undertanding the concepts of transparency and opacity should be easy, but it probably is different than the understanding of a sighted person. It should also be pointed out that when we say something is 'red', we may all be seeing slightly different things. But we've learned based on what someone told us was red when we were children.
ladyprof70
Level 7
May 29, 2018
2
Thank you for sharing that. Im always thinking about the experiment mentioned. I just assumed nobody had done it.
Blind people can understand as much as we do (at times even more), if they read it or are told it or experience something by them selves, they are BLIND not DUMB. I worked with blind children in Los Angeles teaching music, you would be shocked at thier abilities.
DrewShourd
Level 7
May 29, 2018
2
True, but like the video showed, they lack the additional information we accumulate and process because we actually see. It's interesting to see this blind man discover answers he had been wondering about.
@thislife true, their knowledge gathering tools are different than those with sight, but not less imo.
@Agr8m8 Agreed. I am sure they have perceptions that we don't easily understand.
With a Braille or auditory dictionary, blind people can look up the definitions. From Dictionary.com:
Transparent
adjective
- having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen.
2.so sheer as to permit light to pass through; diaphanous.
Translucent
adjective
-
having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen.
-
so sheer as to permit light to pass through; diaphanous.
Reflect
verb (used with object)
-
to cast back (light, heat, sound, etc.) from a surface:The mirror reflected the light onto the wall.
-
to give back or show an image of; mirror.
-
(of an act or its result) to serve to cast or bring (credit, discredit, etc.) on its performer.
LiterateHiker
Level 9
May 29, 2018
1
yes he said he learned about a lot of that in school
I think that blind people without any visualization (both external and internal) can still understand such things verbally, analytically, etc. Visualizing isn't the only mode of storing information and giving basis to working memory. There are simply a lot of confounding variables at play between the variable of not being able to see, and being able to understand transparent, translucent and reflective things.
We are kind of still at that stage in cognitive science where we only vaguely understand individual differences, and the process of storing and manipulating information, but I imagine it is mechanical, and has to do with an intention to mechanically activate a more appropriate network of brain cells, not unlike a computer, but still in fact more complicated.
DZhukovin
Level 7
May 29, 2018
2
Ya, what you said....
We're so used to being able to see, that it strikes a lot of us as surprising when we find out that a blind person doesn't actually "see" black. Our sense of sight is so powerful, that we don't even realize it's working together with our other senses, all being processed by a single brain.
Great comment by the way!
If I have a Mexican landscaper does that mean I understand Spanish? If I put a spoonful of ice cream in my ear will I be able to tell if it is vanilla or chocolate flavoured? Sorry, but I just fail to understand the logic behind these studies.
Surfpirate
Level 9
May 29, 2018
0
Its like if you went to another country and were interested in its peoples view of the U.S. They may never have set foot on American soil, but that doesn't mean they weren't exposed to our culture, through tv, movies etc. In fact, it may even be quite enlightening to hear their perspective on, say, gang violence, or police brutality.
apples and oranges you point out bro
@Faraday You are correct imo sir, I have lived in Spain, Brazil, Mongolia and the U.S., have traveled to Korea, Turkey, the Philippines, Mexico, Canada (Hawaii, yes part of the U.S., but culturally not even close)....EVERYone I talked to had an opinion of America and Americans (not good btw) and 95% had never been out of their own country!
Would it make a difference to the world ? So no point to the question !
VAL3941
Level 8
May 29, 2018
0
?
It is interesting and for that reason it is important. In a world where disability is becoming increasingly less of a barrier it is important to try to understand everyone's experience of the world.
Sure it would mate, to THEIR world, living in a world where most have sight. Example: a blind lady knowing she can step out of a shower cause she knows (was told by a trusted person) that the window is not transparent, so she feels more comfortable. Same lady while in a car, someone tells her, "Hey don't give that ass hole who cut us off the middle finga, those windows are transparent! and that's the pastors wife!!..."...I could go on and on with such examples and probably even better ones. Knowledge IS power bro, dig it mate?
@Amisja very important imo
@Amisja simma down baby, simma down...hehehe, this world needs opposing opinions, it's what makes us all different and work to get along, right?
@Agr8m8 Stop that
@Amisja ....hahahahaa, ya mean, stop that 'we are all one crap', that crazy ass Buddhist way of thinking, the deep Shamanistic way of living of respecting others, nature, the wind, the waves, sorry, I can't. We are all connected and as a team we are only as strong as our weakest link, imo it is our duty to strengthen those who are weak, knowing the weakest need our patience and love the most. If you knew me you would know I was sent here to help people, yes even mates like VAL3941. I do not want any one here to agree with me, all I want is for people to hear me...
@Agr8m8 I mean stop calling me babe
@Amisja hahahahaha, in your dreams, I never called you 'babe', that is reserved for my wife only, I quoted a movie and used the word 'baby', don't give yourself too much credit ma'am and please learn to read ma'am.
@Agr8m8
I looked for the word " babe " and also could not find it ? Maybe she should stick to nursing only ?
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