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CortexCast - A Neuroscience PodcastAuthor: Oxford University
In-depth yet accessible interviews with world-leading neuroscientists, exploring cutting edge techniques, challenges in the field, and how these researchers think not only about the brain but life in general. The conversations are accessible to anyone with an interest in science. CortexCast is the official podcast of the Oxford University Cortex Club, a student run society that connects local and internationally recognised neuroscientists with students and researchers in Oxford through forums such as panels discussions, lectures and small debates. If you are interested in Cortex then this is the 'cast for you. Language: en Genres: Education, Health & Fitness, Medicine Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Season 3 Episode 1 | Through the Looking Glass: How Your Eyes Decode the Light Show
Thursday, 9 October, 2025
How does the human eye transform waves of light into the vivid, detailed experience we call vision? In this episode of CortexCast, we follow photons on their journey from the moment they strike the retina to the point where visual signals begin to take shape. We explore the cascade of biochemical reactions triggered by molecules such as retinal and rhodopsin, the roles of rod and cone cells in night and colour vision, and the vulnerability of the central retina in age-related macular degeneration. We then turn to the networks of bipolar and horizontal cells, where visual information is funnelled, filtered, and sharpened into receptive fields — the brain’s earliest building blocks of images. Along the way, we uncover how a patch of neural tissue at the back of the eye becomes the gateway to our entire visual world.
