The Resolution of the Eye

In a world of 5 and 10 megapixel resolution digital cameras you will be surprised to learn that each eye only has about 4.5 million cone cells (4.5 megapixels) and 90 million rod cells (90 megapixels). A megapixel is 1 million pixels.

Why or How Does Life Look So Good?

The answer is mental trickery.

Most of the cones, the cells responsible for detecting light and color, are located in the center of the eye, while rods, the more sensitive but non-color detecting parts are located around the whole eye.

This gives the center area of the picture good resolution, while the peripheral vision has much less visual acuity.

Movement

The rods located in the peripheral vision are wired to detect motion. Together the eyes can detect motion over almost 180 degrees of view.

A Computer Taking Advantage

At least one company has tried to improve their simulations by detecting where the eyes are looking and drawing that area in high resolution, while drawing everything else on the screen at a lower resolution.

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