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They are probably counting on the brain's remarkable ability to make sense of input. Consider that a birth-blind person has no prior experience with sight, and

They are probably counting on the brain's remarkable ability to make sense of input. Consider that a birth-blind person has no prior experience with sight, and so can possibly rely on the brain to make sense of the input, no matter how imperfect. For example, humans can adapt to inverted images within about 8 days (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upside_down_goggles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upside_down_goggles)

robwwilliams 2y ago
Naive hope. The regrowing axons would have to decussate (cross over or not correctly) at the optic chiasm. That is beyond highly unlikely in a transplanted eye. And then the growing axons would also have to grow into the correct layers and roughly the correct retinotopic regions of the lateral geniculate or superior colliculus.
- Dylan16807 2y ago
  If you actually get into the right area of the brain, messed up or missing crossover sounds like a pretty minor issue to work out.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
vlovich123 2y ago
I would expect the brain’s vision system to have completely been repurposed for other things for a birth blind system and no longer functions in that way. This is very different from changing the signal for your vision system and having it apply a, while impressive, very basic correction.
jessriedel 2y ago
I explicitly brought up brain plasticity as not a convincing argument. People who are blind (even if just blindfolded) from birth and have their sight restored as adults are still functionally blind. They get a bit of light and color, but basically can't interpret objects.
- simpaticoder 2y ago
  Interesting. Do you have a reference for that claim? I am somewhat skeptical if only because of an analogy with cochlear implants - deaf people can start hearing once the signal starts!
  - jessriedel 2y ago
    > Do you have a reference for that claim? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovery_from_blindness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovery_from_blindness https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/people-cured-blindness-see https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/people-c... As one might expect, when people have their vision restored while still young children, they do OK. The older they are, the worse they do. For adults, it's basically nothing except the crudest things like brightness and vague large objects. > I am somewhat skeptical if only because of an analogy with cochlear implants - deaf people can start hearing once the signal starts! I don't think this is right. Again, kids can do ok, and the younger they are, the better. But my impression is that adults who get cochlear implants having been deaf since birth are not able to interpret almost anything. Like, they can sense there are louder or quieter noises, but they can't understand speech, match up sounds to objects, get directionality, or anything like that. Let me know if you have cites to the contrary.

robwwilliams 2y ago

Naive hope. The regrowing axons would have to decussate (cross over or not correctly) at the optic chiasm. That is beyond highly unlikely in a transplanted eye. And then the growing axons would also have to grow into the correct layers and roughly the correct retinotopic regions of the lateral geniculate or superior colliculus.

Dylan16807 2y ago
If you actually get into the right area of the brain, messed up or missing crossover sounds like a pretty minor issue to work out.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]

vlovich123 2y ago

I would expect the brain’s vision system to have completely been repurposed for other things for a birth blind system and no longer functions in that way. This is very different from changing the signal for your vision system and having it apply a, while impressive, very basic correction.

jessriedel 2y ago

I explicitly brought up brain plasticity as not a convincing argument. People who are blind (even if just blindfolded) from birth and have their sight restored as adults are still functionally blind. They get a bit of light and color, but basically can't interpret objects.

simpaticoder 2y ago
Interesting. Do you have a reference for that claim? I am somewhat skeptical if only because of an analogy with cochlear implants - deaf people can start hearing once the signal starts!
- jessriedel 2y ago
  > Do you have a reference for that claim? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovery_from_blindness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovery_from_blindness https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/people-cured-blindness-see https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/people-c... As one might expect, when people have their vision restored while still young children, they do OK. The older they are, the worse they do. For adults, it's basically nothing except the crudest things like brightness and vague large objects. > I am somewhat skeptical if only because of an analogy with cochlear implants - deaf people can start hearing once the signal starts! I don't think this is right. Again, kids can do ok, and the younger they are, the better. But my impression is that adults who get cochlear implants having been deaf since birth are not able to interpret almost anything. Like, they can sense there are louder or quieter noises, but they can't understand speech, match up sounds to objects, get directionality, or anything like that. Let me know if you have cites to the contrary.