Derren Brown's Blog, page 77

Could glasses soon be history?

"Scientists have identified a gene that causes short-sightedness, a discovery which paves the way for treatment to prevent one of the world's most common eye disorders. So could this mean the end of spectacles? A pair of glasses used to come with its own brand of humiliation in the classroom. "Four-eyes", "Specky-git" and "Goggles" were some of the names that rang out in the playground and scarred many a childhood. Short-sightedness, or myopia, which makes distant objects appear blurred...

Your Brain Processes Images Differently When You're a Kid

Adults and children really don't see eye-to-eye, according to a new study.

"The research reveals that kids under the age of 12 perceive visual information differently than adults do. While adults process different visual cues into one unified chunk of information, kids separate visual information. The childhood method of processing may allow kids to fine-tune their visual systems as they grow, the study authors say.

Researchers have long known that youngsters don't fully integrate sensory...

New Art Site Prints and Free Desktops

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For those of you who are fans of Derren's hobby of painting various caricatures will be delighted to know DB has put up his latest creations. The new Rufus, Dench and Nicholson are all the result of a physically larger set of portraits that are higher definition, higher detail paintings that reproduce fantastically. We've also created a set of desktops for you all to download completely free. Just head to the artsite and download them for your computer desktop. If there's a resolution...

Modern Science Map

"500 Years of Science, Reason & Critical Thinking via the medium of gross over simplification, dodgy demarcation, glaring omission and a very tiny font.

The map of modern science was created to celebrate the achievements of the scientific method through the age of reason, the enlightenment and modernity.

Despite many of the scientific disciplines mapped having more ancient origins, I have restricted the map to modern science starting from the 16th century scientific revolution.

The map...

Of mind and matter: David Attenborough meets Richard Dawkins

"We paired up Britain's most celebrated scientists to chat about the big issues: the unity of life, ethics, energy, Handel – and the joy of riding a snowmobile"

"Sir David Attenborough, 84, is a naturalist and broadcaster. He studied geology and zoology at Cambridge before joining the BBC in 1952 and presenting landmark series including Life On Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984) and, recently, Life. Richard Dawkins, 69, was educated at Oxford, later lectured there and became its first...

Evolution in Action: Lizard Moving From Eggs to Live Birth

"Evolution has been caught in the act, according to scientists who are decoding how a species of Australian lizard is abandoning egg-laying in favor of live birth. Along the warm coastal lowlands of New South Wales (map), the yellow-bellied three-toed skink lays eggs to reproduce. But individuals of the same species living in the state's higher, colder mountains are almost all giving birth to live young.

Only two other modern reptiles—another skink species and a European lizard—use both types ...

Speed Bumps of the Future: Creepy Optical Illusion Children

"Today, West Vancouver officials will roll out a new way to keep drivers alert and slow them down: a little girl speed bump. A trompe-l'œil, the apparently 3D girl located near the École Pauline Johnson Elementary School is actually a 2D pavement painting, similar to the one shown here."

"In what sounds like a terrifying experience, the girl's elongated form appears to rise from the ground as cars approach, reaching 3D realism at around 100 feet, and then returning to 2D distortion once cars p...

'Mind-Reading Machine' Turns Thought To Words

"A mind-reading machine may no longer be the stuff of science-fiction after researchers discovered a way to translate people's thoughts into words. Using sensors attached to the speech centres of the brain, scientists converted brain signals into speech for the first time. An epileptic patient, who had part of his skull removed for another operation, was fitted with two button-sized grids of 16 tiny electrodes. The team recorded brain signals as he repeatedly read the words yes, no, hot...

HERO – answers to a few questions

Lots of questions have come up about Hero so I thought I'd try and answer some of those I have come across. Thank you for all your comments and I'm pleased the show struck a chord.

You don't say 'no actors or stooges are used in this show' – Was Matt an actor?

I didn't give that old disclaimer because the show's chock-full of actors, and quite openly so.  I haven't said that whenever actors are openly used: it wouldn't make any sense and to qualify it would be convoluted and verbose. So...

HERO morning after

Morning all. Hope you enjoyed last night if you watched the show. I'm travelling home from a night at the Premier Inn at Leeds Bradford airport, where we were royally looked after throughout our wrap party in the affiliated Beefeater until godknowswhen by the wonderful Christian and Claire who should have been home in bed.

Like to think I stayed in the room that Lenny Henry uses when he's passing through.
I've yet to see the final show and hope to catch it tonight. Bumbled through the live...