Question time!

[virgingrrl]

in class today, we were asked this question (some of you may have heard it already), we are suppossed to ask people what they think the answer is, and we find out the correct answer later in the week. so here goes:

suppose a man is born blind, and is taught by touch how to distinguish the diffrence between a cube and a sphere made of the same metal. the two figures are about the same size.

one day, the man is able to see perfectly. if the same cube and sphere were put on a table in front of him, would he be able to tell which is the cube and which is the sphere WITHOUT touching them? he can only look at the shapes and say what they are.

what do you think? can he tell the diffrence or not?

[Maynard]

Nope. He wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Well, that is my opinion at least.

If you were never able to see (something none of us have ever experienced), and all you could do was tell things by touching them, your eyes wouldn't be able to put that shape to a word. The word being in your brain. If he could touch it, he would know instantly. But from just the visual, no, he wouldn't be able to tell.

[Arthur Dent]

Is this immediately after he gets his sight back, or after he's had a chance to interact with the world.

If it's after, than definitely yes.

If it's right away, I'm less sure, but I'd say yes. The difference between the pointy corners of a cube and the smooth sphere are very drastic to the touch and would build up a good mental image.

[Galt]

Logic would say that even if he doesn't know what they look like, he would be able to realize that one has edges and one is smooth.

[Hey Ladi]

I think yes, the cube has pointy corners & the ball is one smooth surface.
Is the metal shiney? Can he move around the table?
Shiny spots on the sphere might look like corners.
But I still think yes.

[The Sleeper]

It would depend on the blind person. I don't think it's a black and white issue.

[Maynard]

But....what if no one told him a sphere was smooth and the cube had pointed edges?

His eyes haven't been trained to decipher smooth from points yet. Like I said before....this is something that none of us will ever know because our minds were trained with sight, and not with touch.

[DGW]

he would be able to realize that one has edges and one is smooth.

thta would be my reasoning

[Arthur Dent]

this is something that none of us will ever know because our minds were trained with sight, and not with touch.

All babies explore the world by touch. It's why they put everything in their mouths.

[Galt]

He was able to touch them. He could feel them and know that one has points and faces, and one is completely smooth.

When he was able to look at them, he could look at see that one has edges and one has none.

He could put two and two together.

[Maynard]

Yes Dent, but they also use sight as well. So they use the sight/touch method of figuring things out.

[fbd]

he'd be able to see that one isnt flat. you can feel and see the differences between flat and round. if he was shown pictures, he couldnt tell, but if they were on a table in front of him, he could differentiate easily

[virgingrrl]

Yes Dent, but they also use sight as well. So they use the sight/touch method of figuring things out.

not when kids are really little, infants can't see very well, that's why they only react to sound (ie. voice's) and touch.

[Maynard]

infants can't see very well

OK, then by that reasoning, infants can't tell the difference either unless they touch them.

[crx girl]

i think that's what they were saying

[Hybrid]

why are we doing vg's homework

Logic would say that even if he doesn't know what they look like, he would be able to realize that one has edges and one is smooth.

yea. what he said.

[Is Don on the phone?]

My bet is that he'd be staring at your breasts, and not even notice the cube and sphere. Just a guess...

[virgingrrl]

you aren't doing my homework poo-head. i just wanted to see what you people thought of it.

[NaughtyAngel]

i say yes

[OAS]

Want some sage advice? The answer is no he couldn't differentiate. The pointed edge vs. smooth theory makes sense to a sighted person because we can relate the pointed edges to the smoothness because our sense of feel correlates to the vision of shape and it's relationship to space. We can see and feel that it is different. A blind person can only relate to touch with no comprehension to size and it's relational difference. The feel of round and smooth is a theory decribed to the touch but not registered in the brain beyond theory.