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Dec 7, 2004

"The brain gives the heart its sight. The heart gives the brain its vision." --Kall

Blind Person's Tongue

A blind person can see through his tongue? Indeed! NY Times recently reported on a fascinating new device, BrainPort, that can translate visual information from a camera to pulses that reach a blind patient's brain via his/her tongue. Interestingly enough, that blind patient was able to find doorways, see her wife in the park and play a game of rock, paper, scissors with his daughter! While the images of the world pass through the retina, it is the brain that interprets those patterns of sensations. Dr. Bach-y-Rita says, "We see with the brain, not with the eyes. You can lose your retina but you do not lose the ability to see as long as your brain is intact."