Editing Torsten Wiesel (section)

==Research==
The Hubel and Wiesel experiments greatly expanded the scientific knowledge of sensory processing.  In one experiment, done in 1959, they inserted a [[electrode|microelectrode]] into the [[primary visual cortex]] of an anesthetized cat. They then projected patterns of light and dark on a screen in front of the cat. They found that some [[neuron]]s fired rapidly when presented with lines at one angle, while others responded best to another angle. They called these neurons "[[simple cell]]s."  Still other neurons, which they termed "[[complex cell]]s," responded best to lines of a certain angle moving in one direction.  These studies showed how the visual system builds an image from simple stimuli into more complex representations.<ref name=Goldstein>{{cite book | author=Goldstein, B. | year=2001 | title=Sensation and Perception | edition=6th | publisher= [[Wadsworth Publishing]] }} {{ISBN missing}}</ref>

Hubel and Wiesel were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1981 for their work on [[ocular dominance column]]s in the 1960s and 1970s.  By depriving kittens from using one eye, they showed that columns in the primary visual cortex receiving inputs from the other eye took over the areas that would normally receive input from the deprived eye.  These kittens also did not develop areas receiving input from both eyes, a feature needed for [[binocular vision]] and [[stereopsis]].  Hubel and Wiesel's experiments showed that the ocular dominance develops irreversibly{{Verify source|date=July 2013|reason=Hubel has been cited as stating their experiments do ''not'' show irreversibility, see article on Susan R. Barry.}} early in childhood development. These studies opened the door for the understanding and treatment of childhood [[cataract]]s and [[strabismus]].  They were also important in the study of cortical [[Neuroplasticity|plasticity]].<ref name=Goldstein/>