# Perception Conceals the Work of the Brain by Al Seckel > “In fact, our visual system is so successful at building an accurate representation of the real world (our perception) that most of us do not realize what a difficult task our brain is performing. Without conscious thought, our visual system gathers and interprets complex information, providing us with a seamless perception of our environment. The complexities of how we perceive are cleverly concealed by a successful visual system.” > **— Al Seckel**, *2004 Edge Annual Question, response passage* ## Sources and Context - **Original Edge response:** [Seckel's Law — Al Seckel](https://www.edge.org/response-detail/10301) — a verbatim passage from Al Seckel's 2004 Annual Question response, expressing the author's position at the time. The linked response supplies its surrounding context. - **Local archival entry:** [[research/Edge 2004 Full Quotation Curation|Edge 2004 Full Quotation Curation]] (EDGE2004-099). ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Edge|Edge]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] - **Article:** [[articles/Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer|Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Organic-Synthetic Brain Atlas|The Organic-Synthetic Brain Atlas]] - **Article:** [[articles/Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta|Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Perceptual Sovereignty|Perceptual Sovereignty]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “In fact, our visual system is so successful at building an accurate representation of the real world (our perception) that most of us do not realize what a difficult task our brain is performing. Without conscious thought, our visual system gathers and interprets complex information, providing us with a seamless perception of our environment. The complexities of how we perceive are cleverly concealed by a successful visual system.” — Al Seckel, 2004 Edge Annual Question https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-al-seckel-perception-conceals-brains-own-work ```