Mental imagery and rotation are some of the most powerful and least explained intellectual functions of the human brain. With that in mind, Purdue University Calumet will host a free lecture by psychologist and audiovisual communication expert Piotr Francuz Sept. 22 and 23.
“How Do We Rotate Objects in Our Mind?,” a 90-minute presentation and discussion, will be held in Room 321 of the Student Union & Library, beginning at 11:30 a.m. both days. The presentations are free and open to the public. They are sponsored by Purdue Calumet’s Center for Global Studies as part of its fourth annual Lecture Series on Global Understanding.
The presentation will focus on the operation of the human mind as it creates and rotates mental representations of 3-dimensional, real-world objects. Using data from laboratory experiments, Francuz will address long-standing questions about the way 3-D images are created and rotated mentally, and the differences between objects that are seen in the world and those seen on a computer screen.
“(The session) will serve to educate and inform students, faculty and community members about a timely issue related to communication—in this case, visual communication,” Director of Purdue Calumet’s Center for Global Studies / Head of the Department of Communication and Creative Arts Yahya Kamalipour said.
Francuz, an associate professor of psychology at John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, is head of the university’s Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Psychoneurophysiological Laboratory and Studio High Definition. He also is director of the Centre for Psychological Analysis of Mass Media Communication.
The Lecture Series on Global Understanding resumes Oct. 22, as Schererville native and political commentator Pete Seat addresses the impact of media on politics and public discourse.
“All of the presentations support one of the strategic goals of the university—the globalization and internationalization of our programs,” Kamalipour said.
More information is available by visiting www.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/cgs, or by calling 219/989-2880.
