Discover how your brain processes images in just 13 milliseconds and the surprising patterns behind everyday blinking
Image recognition speed
Blinks per minute
Average blink duration
Think about the last time you blinked—a fleeting moment so brief you probably didn't even notice. In that instant, your world went dark for roughly 100 to 150 milliseconds 5 . Yet when you opened your eyes, your visual world remained seamless and continuous. What happens during these brief blackouts that occur 15 to 17 times every minute? How does your brain make sense of a world that's constantly being interrupted?
Groundbreaking research from MIT has discovered that your brain can identify images seen for as little as 13 milliseconds—far faster than the blink of an eye 1 . This extraordinary speed helps explain how we navigate a visually complex world despite spending approximately 10% of our waking hours with our eyes closed 5 .
Join us as we explore the fascinating science behind what happens "in the blink of an eye" and how these brief moments shape our perception of reality.
While a blink lasts only 100-150ms, our brains can process visual information in just 13ms, creating a continuous perception of reality.
The brain uses blink moments not just for eye lubrication but also for attention disengagement and information organization.
Blinking is a semi-autonomic bodily function—meaning we do it both voluntarily and automatically—that involves the rapid closing and opening of the eyelid 5 . While we might take it for granted, this simple action is essential for maintaining healthy vision and processing visual information.
Not all blinks are created equal. Scientists recognize three distinct types:
Blinking serves several crucial functions:
Blinking spreads tears across the eye's surface, keeping it moist and removing irritants 5 .
Research suggests blinking may help with disengagement of attention, allowing the brain to briefly shift resources to internal processing 5 .
The brief moments of visual interruption during blinking might actually help organize our visual perception.
Did you know that infants blink much less than adults? Babies average only one or two blinks per minute compared to an adult's 15-17 blinks per minute 5 . The reasons aren't fully understood but may relate to smaller eyelid openings, less tear production, and more sleep. Blink rates increase throughout childhood, reaching adult levels by adolescence.
| Scenario | Average Blink Rate (per minute) | Average Blink Duration (milliseconds) |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Adult Resting Rate | 15-17 | 100-150 |
| Infants | 1-2 | Similar to adults |
| Reading | 4-5 | Similar to adults |
| Computer Use | Variable (often reduced) | Similar to adults |
| Formula One Driving | Varies by track section | Similar to adults |
Imagine seeing a dozen pictures flash by in a fraction of a second. You might think it would be impossible to identify any images you see for such a short time. However, a team of MIT neuroscientists has made a remarkable discovery: the human brain can process entire images that the eye sees for as little as 13 milliseconds 1 . This is the first evidence of such rapid processing speed and is far faster than the 100 milliseconds suggested by previous studies.
This finding fundamentally changes our understanding of visual processing. As MIT professor Mary Potter, senior author of the study, explains: "The fact that you can do that at these high speeds indicates to us that what vision does is find concepts. That's what the brain is doing all day long—trying to understand what we're looking at" 1 .
Images shown for as little as 13ms
Initial light detection and signal conversion
Information reaches visual processing centers
Brain recognizes objects and scenes
This rapid-fire processing may help direct our eyes, which shift their gaze three times per second, to their next target. Potter suggests: "The job of the eyes is not only to get the information into the brain, but to allow the brain to think about it rapidly enough to know what you should look at next. So in general we're calibrating our eyes so they move around just as often as possible consistent with understanding what we're seeing" 1 .
In their groundbreaking study published in Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics, the MIT research team designed an elegant experiment to test the limits of human visual processing 1 . Here's how they did it:
The researchers expected to see a dramatic decline in performance around 50 milliseconds, based on the understanding that visual information takes at least 50 milliseconds to flow from the retina to the top of the visual processing chain and back down again. However, they found something remarkable: although overall performance declined, subjects continued to perform better than chance even at the fastest exposure time of 13 milliseconds 1 .
This finding suggests that "feedforward processing"—the flow of information in only one direction, from retina through visual processing centers in the brain—may be enough for the brain to identify concepts without having to do any further feedback processing 1 .
| Image Exposure Time (milliseconds) | Performance Accuracy | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 80 ms | High accuracy | Expected performance level |
| 53 ms | Better than chance | Faster than expected |
| 40 ms | Better than chance | Challenging existing models |
| 27 ms | Better than chance | Surprising capability |
| 13 ms | Better than chance | Maximum speed tested |
Several factors may contribute to this remarkable speed:
The brain appears to be identifying concepts rather than analyzing every detail 1 .
Subjects were able to practice fast detection as images were presented progressively faster 1 .
Although images were seen for only 13 milliseconds, part of the brain continues to process those images for longer, as subjects could respond after seeing sequences 1 .
The practical implications of our visual processing and blinking abilities become dramatically apparent in high-stakes environments like professional racing. Recent research published in iScience by cognitive neuroscientist Ryota Nishizono and colleagues examined blinking patterns in Formula One drivers 9 .
The researchers mounted eye trackers on the helmets of three Formula One drivers who then completed 304 laps on three different circuits. The findings revealed something fascinating: unlike the typically random blinking patterns observed in most situations, these drivers displayed highly predictable blinking behavior 9 .
The drivers consistently:
This research highlights the sophisticated trade-off our brains manage between keeping our eyes moist and maintaining vision during crucial tasks. The researchers identified three underlying factors for these blink patterns: the driver's personal blink count, how consistently they maintained lap pace, and acceleration levels that made blinking comfortable 9 .
| Factor | Influence on Blinking | Scientific Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Track Complexity | Reduced blinking during curves and speed changes | Cognitive load and need for continuous visual information |
| Acceleration | Affects comfortable blinking timing | G-forces may influence eyelid control |
| Straight Sections | Increased, regular blinking | Opportunities for "safe" visual interruptions |
| Expertise | More optimized patterns | Trained visual attention and anticipation |
Studying rapid visual processing and blinking requires specialized tools and methodologies. Here are some key components of the researcher's toolkit:
| Tool/Technique | Function | Application Example |
|---|---|---|
| High-Speed Display Systems | Present visual stimuli at precise, millisecond-level durations | MIT study showing images for 13-80 ms 1 |
| Eye Tracking Technology | Monitor blink timing, duration, and patterns | Formula One driver study using helmet-mounted trackers 9 |
| MEG (Magnetoencephalography) Scanners | Track brain activity during visual tasks | MIT's ongoing research on brain regions active during rapid identification 1 |
| Computer Vision Algorithms | Analyze and categorize visual stimuli used in experiments | Ensuring consistent image content across trials |
| Statistical Analysis Software | Determine significance of results against chance performance | Confirming subjects performed better than chance at 13 ms exposures 1 |
The science of what happens "in the blink of an eye" reveals the astonishing capabilities of our visual system and brain. From identifying images in as little as 13 milliseconds to strategically timing blinks during high-speed races, our brains have evolved remarkable mechanisms for processing visual information despite constant interruptions 1 9 .
These findings not only help explain how we navigate our visual world but also open doors to practical applications in everything from designing safer vehicles to developing treatments for visual processing disorders. The MIT research suggests that our brains are essentially concept identification machines, constantly working to understand what we're looking at as efficiently as possible 1 .
Next time you blink, remember that in that brief moment—a timespan once thought too short for meaningful cognitive processing—your brain is capable of not just maintaining a stable visual world, but potentially identifying entirely new concepts and preparing for what to examine next. The humble blink, it turns out, is not an interruption to our vision, but an integral part of how we see and understand our world.
As research continues, particularly with advanced brain scanning techniques like MEG, we're likely to discover even more astonishing capabilities hidden within these briefest moments of human experience 1 . The simple blink of an eye, once barely noticed, has revealed itself as a window into some of the most sophisticated processing capabilities of the human brain.
The journey to understand the full complexity of human visual processing continues, but one thing is clear: in the blink of an eye, far more is possible than we ever imagined.