Utopian lab: Illusions- A window to your brain

Perception is the result of interaction between sensory signals (bottom-up processing), and models stored in memory (top-down processing). A crucial balance between predictions and prior knowledge has to be maintained in order to make sense of the environment around us. This is impacted on when someone has a condition such as Schizophrenia, where perception is affected by the imbalance between these top-down and bottom-up processes.

Cross-media installation 'A window to your brain' invites the visitor to test their own eyes and brains, presenting pioneering research that is shedding light on the way that the brain works and forging new approaches to diagnosis and care for those with Schizophrenia.

This project is part of the Utopian lab, a contemporary glimpse of the Health Faculties at King’s College London. The crusade to understand, save and compliment the human body and mind is the spirit of Utopia itself, uniting cultures, defining humanity and standing on the shoulders of giants.

Rotating through the different stories of present day work day work being carried out across the Health Faculties at King’s College London, Utopian lab is a snapshot of the future with roots firmly planted in King’s College Hospital’s past: a workhouse on the Strand that was propelled to notoriety by the surgery work of Joseph Lister in the late 19th century.