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How we see Straight Lines

In looking at a straight line, the eye can detect a lateral break that forms an image only .00001 centimeter wide on the retina. A new hypothesis holds that this ability is due to rapid scanning motions

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John R. Platt is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications. His "Extinction Countdown" column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.

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Scientific American Magazine Vol 202 Issue 6This article was originally published with the title “How we see Straight Lines” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 202 No. 6 (), p. 121
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0660-121