DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x25102938 ISSN: 0140-525X
In the appraisal of biological significance, visual consciousness is faster than you think
Paul SiegelAbstract
Evaluation of biological significance in the visual cortex occurs along multiple parallel pathways to provide fast but coarse processing. This was critical when visual horizons were expanded by the sea-to-land transition, which meant broader visual exposure to a range of survival threats. Response latencies in the macaque cortex and postdictive effects of evolutionary-relevant stimuli in humans attest to fast visual processing.