P Is for Phenomenology Mates Is Perpetuated Here

book review

opponent cells in the visual cortex of pri- P is for Phenomenology mates is perpetuated here. Even though such cells offer an elegant solution to most Vision Science: Photons to Phenomenology problems of color contrast and constancy, since 1978 nobody has been able to verify by Stephen E. Palmer their existence in primate visual cortex. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999. $70.00 Cloth, Luckily for the student (and teacher), pp 810 most of the other chapters are of much ISBN 0-262-16183-4 higher quality. The two introductory chapters on ‘Foundations’ were particularly Reviewed by Karl R. Gegenfurtner pleasing. They offer an overview of current thinking and a quick history of the field over the last 50–100 years. The chapter on depth perception contains some of the latest psychophysical findings and One of the goals of neuroscience is to inte- would be just as appropriate as a graduate computational arguments on how to com- grate different disciplines that used to be text for a course on visual cognition. Pre- bine information from different depth relatively unrelated, but all study the ner- sumably this reflects the influence of the cues (‘sensor fusion’). The chapter on per- vous system. Vision science has been at the author’s mentor, the late Irving Rock, ceptual organization introduces compu- forefront of the neuroscience movement, famous for his work on perceptual illu- tational arguments to a field that is and some of the credit for this should go sions; indeed, Palmer himself is best known typically regarded as vague and full of to the late David Marr. His 1982 book, for his studies of perceptual organization. hand-waving arguments. Similarly, the Vision, smoothly integrated psychophysics, The organization of Vision Science is chapter on object recognition is focused physiology and computation into a com- somewhat unusual. Rather than dividing on the current debate between image- prehensive theory of how vision works. the subjects into different chapters dealing based approaches and recognition by Stephen Palmer’s Vision Science fits right with distinct visual attributes such as color, three-dimensional components. There is into Marr’s framework. It is a comprehen- form, motion and depth, the book is split a chapter on illusions and constancies that

http://neurosci.nature.com • sive and excellent textbook on visual per- into two major parts—spatial vision and is amazingly complete. The materials on ception with the specific purpose of visual dynamics. There is one exception; the visual attention and eye movements, visu- reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of chapter on color vision precedes all others, al memory and imagery and awareness are visual science. with the justification that color vision is also welcome additions that are rarely The older textbooks on visual percep- exemplary for illustrating the interdiscipli- found in perception textbooks. tion were conceived strictly for an audience nary nature of vision science. I fully agree Of course, most of these chapters cover of psychology students, and consisted with this, and, because color vision is my perceptual phenomena for which there are mainly of descriptions of fascinating but main area of expertise, I was looking for- no immediate links to physiology, and lit- often unrelated and unexplained phenom- ward to an integrative review of what tle relationship to computation. The best 1999 Nature America Inc.

ena. More recent textbooks had the look physics, physiology, biology and psycholo- chapters of the book are the ones in which © and feel of introductions to sensory physi- gy had come up with during the last 100 phenomenology dominates. Chapters on ology. What was missing from all these years. What I found, however, was disap- lower-level processes are of lower quality. books was the ‘glue’ linking phenomena, pointing, in that it did not offer any justifi- This is reflected not only in the material physiology and computation. Stephen cation for the major claim that its integrated that is presented, but also in what is miss- Palmer has put forward his attempt at an and interdisciplinary nature makes color ing. In my view, the two biggest advances integrated overview of the field, and he vision a ‘microcosm’ of vision science. in visual science over the last decade were probably has done his job as well as any To start with, Palmer introduces a pure- the discovery of the molecular genetic person could possibly do it. The volume of ly phenomenological color space, based on basis of color vision by Jeremy Nathans the book is also impressive—it has about lightness, hue and saturation. Yet nearly all and colleagues, and the microstimulation twice as many pages as previous textbooks contemporary research on color vision uses experiments of Bill Newsome and col- devoted to vision. color spaces based on the physiological sig- leagues. These experiments establish a There are two striking aspects to this nals either in the cone photoreceptors or direct link between genetics and behavior, book. First, despite its title, there is a clear in the subsequent color-opponent retinal and between responses of single neurons dominance of phenomenology, and hard- ganglion cells. In both cases, there is a clear and behavior, respectively. If the motiva- ly anything about photons. Second, the physiological substrate, making it easy to tion behind this textbook was to show an best chapters are the ones on higher-level relate psychophysical findings to physiol- integrated picture of visual science, then visual processes, such as perceptual orga- ogy. As a result of this inappropriate choice, these two landmark discoveries should nization, object recognition, visual atten- students will be ill-prepared to read the have been included. tion and visual memory. Although the current literature on color vision. Even so, it is difficult to argue that there book is meant to be an undergraduate There are other problems (most of is material missing in a book that is already textbook for the whole field of vision, it which occur in other textbooks as well) 800 pages thick, and the above criticisms with the color vision chapter. The ‘unique hold for most other undergraduate text- Karl Gegenfurtner is at MPI für biologische hues’ postulated by Hering and by Hurvich books as well. As it stands, Vision Science is Kybernetik, Spemannstrasse 38, 72076 and Jameson are mistaken for the well- the best and most complete current text- Tübingen, Germany. established color-opponent channels in the book on visual perception. I expect it to email: [email protected] retina. Also, the textbook myth of double- become the classroom standard.

nature neuroscience • volume 2 no 8 • august 1999 693