Again..A Summary of This New Explanation for the Vision Process

Ultimately, vision science must explain the fact that the eye can detect (or “count”) single photons, i.e., that the ultimate level of sensitivity of the process has been reached. An alternative and thought provoking terminology might be that vision actually “interacts with the reality of quantum physics”. There are many in the physics community attempting to address the subject of a quantum connection with neuroscience……and the retina as noted by Roger Penrose is a direct extension of the brain! This subject has not, and could not be, addressed in the literature of vision as long as the eye was perceived to be the analogue of a “camera” with, usual for that line of thought, image integration times of the order of photographic film, i.e., on a macro time scale of the order of fractions of a second. This is the view that seems tacitly assumed in the entirety of vision science even to this day.

From a technological viewpoint a glaring disconnect appears here. The only way that the field of photonics knows of to detect light at this low level in contemporary imaging systems (“photomultipler” tubes, etc.) is to either apply large electronic amplification (not at all evident or possible in biological systems) or, to reduce the temperature of the system to close to absolute zero to reduce signal obscuring noise. Neither of these considerations is evident in the eye and, moreover, vision accomplishes this feat even above room ambient at body temperature.

My explanation, in contrast to the above, posits that the retina actually can be shown to consist of a logically spaced array (of a 100 million or so) of discrete light detection
elements each of which displays electronic characteristics consistent with the requirements for detecting single quanta. Considering individual lightdetection elements (or devices) isbthe only way to explain detection at this ultimate level of sensitivity. The characteristics of such individual devices includes both the physical size of the element (in this case the sub-optical wavelength dimensions characterized by the appositiona“electromagnetic antenna” distances between retinal receptors) and, consideration of a reduced time scale reaching at least into the sub-picosecond (10-12 sec) time domain to reduce random (thermally generated) electronic noise that would otherwise obscure the quantum signal (electronic noise is a time integrated function and shorter time reduces the number of discrete unwanted electronic noise events inclusive in any detection “time window”.

The total image information that is acquired may extend even to femtosecond (10-15 sec) time or less supported by data that this is the “switching time” for the fundamental retinal chromophore molecule in the rhodopsin complexes contained in receptors of the retina. This image can therefore be said to be “quantum noise limited”. THERE IS REALLY NOTHING NEW IN THIS STATEMENT – THE IMAGE FORMATION PROCESS ON THE RETINA SPATIALLY INTERROGATES THE REALM OF QUANTUM PHYSICS! How then is such an ephemeral (i.e., in time) signal perceived by the much slower human nervous system and the brain? I have proposed that known mechanisms involved in transmission of this image information (coherently!) through the two million or so individual fibers comprising the optic nerve accomplishes this function. The transmission mechanism for this process has historically been assumed as being ionic but a new hypothesis proposes that signal transmission may actually be phononic or, coherently, as lossless solitons (nature would use lossless solitons!). I might suppose that some sort of time integration of acquired “quantal image” information must occur somewhere in this process. .a new window for the vision/mind process into what I term “quantum reality” is provided by this logic.

From the above it should be obvious that in both space and time this explanation approaches the realm of quantum physics.

And there is much more …..this explanation finds that a simple and heretofore unrecognized geometric construction is fundamental to light interaction with the retina. Refer to the “Rosetta Stone” diagram in the paper where, following the realization that an “antenna spatial dimensionality” is involved in the detection of electromagnetic radiation,
the rule follows that: “an array of circles of two diameters leads to three appositional lengths and that this corresponds to the trichromicity of vision” and that the “the absolute diameters of these circles defines the wavelength band”, and…further, that “the ratio of these diameters defines the width of the band detected” (the ratio of the diameters of cone and rod retinal receptors corresponds to the visual band from 400-700 nm). Also crucial to the vision process, an exact “geometric center” (thus wavelength) is defined that I believe is the reference for determining color in the eye.

About the physics involved….this new explanation does not refute any tenet of either classical or quantum physics. It simply notes that, using the assumption of “optical antenna lengths” rather than the pure quantum construction that “a photon interacts…”, it becomes obvious that the retina evolved to detect light as the wave of classical physics
but necessarily adjacent to the recognized concept of “quantum confined electron” regions widely accepted in contemporary quantum electronics. I go no further than this… simply an observation that the nanostructure of the retina is so structured. It fascinates me that in such a nanostructure the quantum and classical realms can be viewed as being spatially “side-by-side” (Bohr’s complementarity?)…and that the process can be viewed“ from either side” either as a quantum or classical interaction process. As opposed to historically inaccurate views….this explanation provides, for the first time, a basis for extending thinking about the vision process into the realm of quantum reality.

I would propose that an alternative (and more correct) way to view the structure of the retina is as a “spatially defined array of quantum wires”. The real function of cones and rods is spatial with their role being to define the distance between such quantum wires!

GCH
3/27/07