Christopher Cosner: MAT 594 Research Project


MAT 594 - 2008S		Christopher Cosner - A Glance at Animal Vision

Description		This research project is exactly what the title states. It is a glance at how animals, house pets in particular, theoretically see the world. Because we can never actually see through the eyes of an animal, all of the research is theoretical. Nonetheless, I find this area of study very fascinating and I intend to create several art projects in the future based on my research findings.

Details		I began my research by contacting several professors, here at UC Santa Barbara, in the Evolutionary Biology Department. This search led me to Jerry Jacobs. He directed me to a paper, Trying to See Red through Stickleback Photoreceptors: Functional Substitution of Receptor Sensitivities, by Mickey P. Rowe at UC Santa Barbara, Charles L. Baube at Oglethorpe University, and John B. Phillips at Virginia Tech. This paper gave me tons of insight as to biology of how animals see. It primarily describes horse vision but the biology aspect seems the same as that of all mammals. Dr. P's Dog Training: Vision in Dogs & People and Cat Videos and Cat DVDs by Kitty Show Cat Entertainment are two websites that were very informative as to how animals react to certain stimuli. Although these two sites are not the most academic forums for research, they provided me with great theoretical knoweldge of how house pets see the world differently than humans. DIY Calculator :: Color Vision: One of Nature's Wonders is a website that describes color and light theory. This site is rich with many images. Picture Source Picture Source The above images are very helpfull to me. Becuase I am an artist, I respond best to visual references and these clearly show the diference in the visual spectrums of humans and dogs. With the sources of research I have found, I intend to work on several projects involving translating the human visual spectrum to that of house pets. My reason for this is because I love animals and I wish to create projects that educate people about how their experience in the world is different from ours and help us understand them better. In turn I will to create interesting art installations that immerse us in a world as seen through animals, also I wish to offer better and more exciting environments for animals. Final Project - Dog Vision 3000! v2

Links		Trying to See Red through Stickleback Photoreceptors: Functional Substitution of Receptor Sensitivities DIY Calculator :: Color Vision: One of Nature's Wonders Dr. P's Dog Training: Vision in Dogs & People Cat Videos and Cat DVDs by Kitty Show Cat Entertainment Vischeck: Info and Links The Evolution of Color Vision © 2008 christophercosner.com Art & Design by Christopher Cosner Stumble It!