Space perception and body morphology: extent of near space scales with arm length

Matthew R Longo1, Stella F Lourenco

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. m.longo@ucl.ac.uk

Related Concept Videos

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
Arc Length of Space Curves01:21

Arc Length of Space Curves

Arc length represents the total distance traveled along a curve in space. For a moving object such as a helicopter, the path can be modeled by a vector-valued position function\begin{equation*}\mathbf{r}(t)=\langle x(t),y(t),z(t)\rangle\end{equation*}where t denotes time. Unlike displacement, which measures only the straight-line distance between two points, arc length accounts for every change in direction along the trajectory.To calculate arc length, the interval of motion is divided into...
Body Planes01:06

Body Planes

Body planes in anatomy are imaginary flat surfaces used as reference points to divide the body into sections for anatomical study. These planes are essential for understanding the orientation, relationships, and spatial organization of anatomical structures.
The sagittal plane is the plane that divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides. If this vertical plane runs directly down the middle of the body resulting in equal division, it is called the midsagittal or median...
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
Centroid of a Body: Problem Solving01:03

Centroid of a Body: Problem Solving

The centroid of a body is a crucial concept in engineering and physics. Finding the centroid of a body can help determine its stability, its balance point, and even its design. In this context, consider a thin wire bent in the form of a quarter circular arc. Polar coordinates are used to calculate the centroid. The wire is first divided into small differential elements of a length equal to the radius multiplied by the differential angle.
The x-coordinates and y-coordinates of each element's...
Centroid of a Body01:16

Centroid of a Body

The centroid is an important concept in engineering, physics, and mechanics. It is the geometric center of a body. It always lies within the body except in cases with holes or cavities. When the material that a body is composed of is uniform or homogeneous, the centroid coincides with its center of mass or the center of gravity.
For a homogeneous body with constant density, the centroid can usually be found using equations representing a balance of the moments of the body's volume. If the...