Stephen Downes

Visual recognition memory (VRM) is "the ability to quickly recognize the familiar things in scenes, which can then be de-prioritized so that we can focus on the new things that might be more important in a given moment." It's also0 - paradoxically - involved in detecting new and unfamiliar things. How does this work? VRM are associated with spike of activity called a "visually evoked potential" (VEP).... VEP is a sign of the activity of the brain quickly recognizing a familiar stimulus and then triggering an inhibition of activity related to it." A novel stiumlus - a burglar in your living room, say - will remain active and at the centre of our attention.