People’s ‘speed of sight’ varies and this may explain sporting prowess
Mind
There is wide variation in people’s ability to visually track fast-moving objects, which might explain why some of us are naturally better at ball sports
By Clare Wilson
Some people will see fast-moving objects more clearly, some just see a blur
Yuri Arcurs/Alamy
Our ability to perceive rapid changes in visual scenes over time – our “speed of sight” – varies a surprising amount between people, according to the first study to systematically investigate the question.
This suggests that some people can track fast-moving objects better than others because of their innate superior vision, which may contribute to people’s different abilities in sports like baseball and cricket, says Clinton Haarlem at Trinity College Dublin.
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