OMG, WTF! LAG!

[Iason Ouabache]

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/080602-foresee-future.html

Scientists have figured out one of the reasons that optical illusions play such weird tricks with our brains:  we have a 1/10 of a second neural lag between our eyes and our brains.  Our brains compensate for this by trying to predict what will happen next.  Hence why we have problems seeing lines in some optical illusions and why it looks like certain illusions appear to be moving when they are actually static.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I find that utterly cool and amusing as fuck.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

I have to agree with NIgel here.   

I was thinking you were going to tell me it was like the tongue curl thing and some people couldn't see them or whatever.

[Iason Ouabache]

I have to agree with NIgel here.   

I was thinking you were going to tell me it was like the tongue curl thing and some people couldn't see them or whatever.

Well, hopefully someone will do an experiment comparing hand-eye coordination and the ability to see optical illusions.  I'd love to see what the results would be. I wonder if people with great hand-eye coordination (like professional athletes) have a shorter neural lag or if they are just better able to fill in the gap.

[Richter]

Probably there's room to improve both.  Training and practice an increase both what connections our brain makes, and how, which would improve both action based on how well we can anticipate (or "fill in the gaps", as you mentioned), and how efficiently our "wiring" gets the messages through. 
I'm guessing at some point the brain is working as best it can, and can't get around the physics of how fast neural impulses go and how it is arranged.  At this point better methods or models of anticipation would eb the only thing left to improve.  (Likely a minute difference though.)

[Triple Zero]

i don't think you can train the transmission speed of neural signals on that level. they have a fixed speed, which depends on that myeline layer thing or what's it.

[Richter]

You can't change the speed at which they fire / transmit, that's definitely true.  I should been more clear that I mean better wiring layout, not faster electricity.

Especially at younger ages, the brain can form more efficient connections to perform common tasks better.  A similar action is seen in medical patients with brain damage.  Over time, other sections of the brain can, to a limited extent, assume the functions of the damaged / dead area.

The part where this discussion becomes tricky is the seperation of the learned reactions (motorsensory, repetitive cerebellum functions) vs. the cognitive predictive portion (forebrain). 
both depend on more effective use of the brain, and the interaction is a hard thing to analyse.

[Vene]

i don't think you can train the transmission speed of neural signals on that level. they have a fixed speed, which depends on that myeline layer thing or what's it.

If I remember right from anatomy, it is possible to train our nerves to send impulses faster (not positive on this).  And the amount of myelin is what makes the impulses faster (I know this is right).