Re: Those Who Cannot See or Enjoy 3-D

[P3D Bob Stern <rstern@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've had close encounters with those who cannot see 3-D.  Both my intern at
work and my wife are stereo blind due to strabismus.  This is an all too
common eye disease which can be best described as a deviation of one of the
eyes from its proper direction, so that the visual axes cannot be directed
simultaneously at the same objective point (from strabbos, meaning squint or
twisted).  This causes faulty depth perception and certainly stereo
blindness.  I, of course am most distressed that my wife cannot enjoy my
interest in stereography and stereo collecting with me.  Until recently, it
was thought that strabismus was an unnnatural legnthening or shortening of
the eye muscles and a corrective surgery could be effective.  My wife
underwent four such sugical procedures and my young intern one such.  None
of these operations corrected the situation.  Both these people wear
corrective eyeglasses which contain prisms which flatten their visual
effects, otherwise they would see double.  Last week I read an article in
the newspaper that a doctor in California has discovered that strabismus
isn't a muscular disorder after all.  It's rather a loosening of the tissue
surrounding the eye that otherwise would keep the eye in proper alignment
while orbiting within visual axes.  Not much in the article, just the finding.
I, being typical of our ilk, insisted that both my wife and my young intern
will see the beauty of stereo photography lest I have a stroke.  I used the
Stereo Theatre.  I loaded a magazine of slides and told them to go slowly,
and use both the focus and interocular control.  My wife went first.
Several slides passed and finally she said, "Is that what you see?".  I felt
so very elated.  She saw it finally.  This poor girl was with me at
Rochester and will also be at Richmond (she's volunteered for the
registration desk).  She sat through the slide shows and used the polarizing
glasses to see merely one image.  To her it was simply a slide show.  She
had to enjoy it on a monocular level.  I wish there was a way for me to mark
her calibration of the Stereo Theatre and create a polarizing lens askew in
the correct way for her to enjoy (my and) the NSA slide shows.
My young intern Michael went next.  He slouched over the viewer.  One slide,
then the next.  Suddenly, "Oh Wow!!!  Bob!!  I see it!! Its Awwwwsome!!
Gimmee more!!"  What a great night that was.  It was actually moving.  Not
that this is all so pertinant to Dr T's posting, but I've never related this
story before with my P3D friends, and this seemed an appropriate time.
Best,
Bob
                 Bob Stern

  mailto:rstern@xxxxxxxxxxxx
                        -or-
mailto:radioguy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                      -also-
 VISIT BOB'S OPERA MADNESS
AND SEE OPERA SINGERS IN 3-D
http://www.geocities.com/vienna/1059


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