How Do We Sense and Interpret the World?

Sensation is the process by which our sensory organs detect stimuli from the environment, like sights, sounds, and smells. Perception is how our brain organizes and interprets these sensations to create meaning.

Sensation

• Transduction: Conversion of physical energy (like light or sound) into neural signals.
• Thresholds: The minimum amount of stimulation needed to detect a sensation.

Perception

• Gestalt Principles: Our brains use rules like proximity and similarity to organize sensory information.
• Top-Down Processing: Using prior knowledge to interpret sensations.

Applications

Understanding sensation and perception helps in designing safer cars, creating optical illusions, and improving technology like voice assistants.