Deviate

Beau Lotto, a neuroscientist who specializes in perception, has polished his presentation skills on public stages around the world, including a couple of hugely popular TED Talks. He brings these well-honed talents to his discussion of how humans evolved to see not what is real but, rather, what is useful. The material--centering as it does on optical illusions--presents some challenges in the audio medium, making the accompanying 82-page PDF a necessary companion to fully appreciate the ideas. But Lotto's engaging tone and youthful energy warm up the technical material and make this an engaging journey into the mind of an exciting and creative scientist who helps us see ourselves more clearly. D.B. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine