As part of the series of activities relating to "Seek Reality from Illusion, and Cultivate Art through Knowledge,"Dr. Shimojo will speak On "Perceptual Illusions—Why They Are, and How They Contribute to Science" on January 22^nd.

In coordination with the Azalea Festival in March, NTU will hold the Azalea Festival Illusion Show," collaborating with Professor Shinzuke Shimojo of the California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology/Computation and Neural Systems. This show will combine science and art, leading the audience into the wonderful world of the senses, and allowing them to personally experience intriguing illusions by way of interaction.

Here is a preview of the warm-up activity of the Illusion Show: OnJanuary 22^nd, Dr. Shimojo will deliver a lecture in Room SB16 of the Psychology Department (Classroom A in the basement of the South Hall of the Psychology Department). His topic will be about the phenomenonof illusion and how it improves our understanding of the operations ofthe human brain, and contributes to vision and neuroscience. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Under the concept of "art" integrating with "knowledge," theNeurobiology and Cognitive Science Center of NTU held a "biomedicineand neuroscience image contest" in 2006 in conjunction with the AzaleaFestival, hoping that the myriad and constantly changing images of bomedicine and neuroscience would improve NTU faculty and students’understanding of neuroscience. This kind of contest was totally unprecedented, but with the full support of the staff and the generous sponsorship from Asia GE Medicinal Instruments Co., the solicitation and review processes went well. The 10 prize-winning works were put on exhibition in the elegant University History Hall for a month startingfrom March 7^th, 2006 (see http://neuroscience.ntu.edu.tw). Because of the warm responses this exhibition triggered, NTU will hold the 2^nd "Azalea Biomedicine and Neuroscience Image Contest"in 2007. Aside from domestic contributions, many foreign works are also entered in this year’s contest, assuring that this year’s prize winners will be even more exiting, innovative, and esthetic!