Turns out your brain and your retina pulse in time with your heartbeat and minds are blown
Here’s something we didn’t know (and very possibly you too). It turns out your brain and your retina both pulse in time with your heartbeat.
And here it is in action.
Retinal pulsation. pic.twitter.com/FbjkW45yNw
— Micah Allen (@micahgallen) April 28, 2019
Which explains a lot of things, mostly to do with hangovers, according to the response it generated on Twitter.
Awesome https://t.co/aLnrE3JpXJ
— Gavin Buckingham (@DrGBuckingham) April 28, 2019
Anybody who didn't know this already has clearly never experienced a truly terrible hangover. https://t.co/qi88HroTyd
— Michael Marshall Smith (@ememess) April 29, 2019
Also, did you know that the retina is an outgrowth of the neural epithelium? It's not a part of the eye, but a part of the brain, stuffed with layers of nerve cells https://t.co/WQirXkBdBK
— Moheb Costandi (@mocost) April 29, 2019
Yes, as does virtually every migraine patient.
— Mark Kopson (@FearTheFu) April 28, 2019
This is amazing fact.
— La Jolla Alcohol Research (@GlobalVaporTech) April 29, 2019
I can sometimes see the retinal heartbeat pulses, particularly after heavy exercise – but I can definitely never feel my brain squish about like this. Super cool! (Unless you're an fmri person worried about artefacts….) https://t.co/o7oWrbm7xB
— Dr Kate Storrs in NZ! (@katestorrs) April 28, 2019
I can see my pulse if I defocus.
— Dr Adam Rutherford (@AdamRutherford) April 29, 2019
Someone had a question.
Fascinating how many people report they can perceive this effect during a hangover or migraine. Are auras interoception bleeding into exteroception? https://t.co/MGKSuJOCnN
— Micah G. Allen (@micahgallen) April 29, 2019
And frankly we are going to have to leave it there. We can feel a migraine coming on.