【英语时差8,16】绿色门

In this Moment of Science Don gives Ya?l a neat trick to play on her brain. You might want to try it, too.   D: Here's a simple demonstration¹ you can do with cool implications. Find a large object that is brightly colored--let's make it a green door. Stand with that door to your side but don't look directly at it; you want it to be in your peripheral² vision. Now, without shifting your gaze, examine the door in the edge of your field of vision. What color is it? Answer? It's still green.

Y: It's still green? What kind of experiment is that? I thought you were going to say something happens to the color.

D: That's exactly right! The color stays green, which means something has happened-- because nothing in your peripheral vision should have any color at all.

Y: Nothing in your peripheral vision should have any color? Why not?

D: Because color is what we perceive when light of a particular frequency meets cones³--special cells in your retina. But the light being reflected off the door is only landing on the outside edge of your retina. And there are almost no cones on the edges. Everything we see roughly seventy-five degrees away from the point we're fixed⁴ on should be black and white.

Y: That's fascinating! But why is the door still green?

D: Presumably the door remains⁵ green because vision isn't a simple matter of retinal cells. All the data your eyes send is interpreted by the brain. Your brain knows that the door is green, so it supplies information that isn't really there to keep the image stable. This is just one of the many ways your brain saves time and energy by making reasonably safe assumptions about the world around you. 

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 peripheral   

adj.周边的，外围的

参考例句：

• We dealt with the peripheral aspects of a cost reduction program.我们谈到了降低成本计划的一些外围问题。
• The hotel provides the clerk the service and the peripheral traveling consultation.旅舍提供票务服务和周边旅游咨询。

3 cones   

n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒

参考例句：

• In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
• Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句

4 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。