What is Depth Perception and How Important is

it?
The ability of the human eye to see in three dimensions and judge the distance of an
object is called depth perception. It takes both eyes working in sync to look at an object
and develop an informed idea about an object, like its size or how far away it is. Your
two eyes look at the object from different angles and that information is processed in
your brain to form a single image.

Depth perception is also responsible for forming an idea of the length, width and height
of an object. The best part of depth perception is that it takes previous knowledge and
uses it to understand the world around us. It usually occurs unconsciously and very
quickly. It happens thousands of times a day without you ever realizing that you are
using it.

Depth Perception is also known as stereopsis. People with normal binocular vision
(vision created by two separate eyes working together to form a single image) can
perceive the depth and distance of objects. People who are cross-eyed (strabismus) or
have a lazy eye (amblyopia) often struggle with depth perception. People who have an
injured eye often have trouble with depth perception while the eye is healing.

An interesting fact about people with only one eye with functioning vision (over a long
period of time), they usually have an acceptable level of depth perception. It functions
well enough for them to do day to day tasks in a safe manner. Their body has made
adjustments to compensate for the switch from binocular to monocular vision. They may
only face difficulties with higher level skills such as performing surgery or being an
airline pilot.

Importance of Depth Perception

 Depth perception is important to our everyday
life in so many ways. This ability allows us to move through life without bumping into
things. Without it, you wouldnt know how far away a wall was from you or the distance
from your car to the car in front of you.

Depth perception also lets you determine how fast an object is coming towards you.
This skill is important if you are crossing the street and there are cars coming or if you
want to pass a slow car and have to go into the oncoming traffic lane to do so. Depth
perception keeps you safe in these types of situations.

Symptoms of Poor Depth Perception

If you have troubling judging how quickly an object is coming towards you, such as a car
or even a ball that is being rolled to you, you may have poor depth perception. For a
true diagnosis of poor depth perception, visit a qualified optician. They can administer a
test with the Howard-Dolman apparatus. This can help narrow down the cause of your
problem so they you may address the problem directly.

Helping Your Depth Perception

There are ways to improve your depth perception naturally, including simple eye
exercises. There are many eye exercises out there that can help with a variety of eye
conditions. One good exercise you can try out to improve your depth perception is the
penny drop. You will need a partner for this exercise. Your partner stands a couple of
feet in front of you and holds a penny between their index finger and thumb.
They hold it out in front of them over a cup that has been placed on the floor. They
move their hand randomly over the cup, sometimes slow and other times quickly. Your
job is to tell them when to drop the penny so that it lands in the cup.

If your depth perception is caused by one eye not being as strong as the other, you can
try exercises that strengthen one eye more than the other. This can be accomplished by
covering the stronger eye and exercising the weaker eye. For instance, cover one eye,
then have a friend take a small penlight and shine it on a darkened wall. Follow the light
as it travels across the wall in random patterns.

Besides eye exercises, the other easy and non-invasive way to naturally improve your
vision is through proper diet and nutrition. Eyes require specific vitamins and minerals to
stay healthy. Among the most important are Vitamins A, C and E, along with zinc and
antioxidants. For a more comprehensive list, check out this list of 17 essential vitamins,
minerals and herbs that are necessary for eye health.
There are also natural supplements made specifically for eye conditions. They contain
the essential vitamins, minerals and herbs that are necessary to rebuild vision or keep
eyes healthy. These supplements can be a great alternative if you have a hard time
getting the right mixture of vitamins and minerals on a daily basis. A great supplement
to check out is our Ocu-Plus Formula.
 The Spaniards as Colonial Masters

Spain reigned over the Philippines for 333 years, from 1565 to 1898.
since Spain was far from the country, the Spanish king ruled the
Islands through the viceroy of Mexico, which was then
another Spanish colony. When Mexico regained its freedom in 1821,
the Spanish king ruled the Philippinesthrough a governor general. A
special government body that oversaw matters, pertaining to
the colonies assisted the king in this respect. This body became
known by many names. Council of the Indies (1565-1837), Overseas
Council (1837-1863), and Ministry of the Colonies (18631898). It is
implemented the decrees and legal codes Spain promulgated although
many of its provisions could not apply to condition in the colonies. It
also exercised legislative and judicial powers.

The Political Structure

Spain established a centralized colonial government in the Philippines that was composed of
a national government and the local governments that administered provinces, cities, towns
and municipalities. With the cooperation of the local governments the national government
maintained peace and order, collected taxes and built schools and other public works.

The Governor General

As the King's representative and the highest-ranking official in the Philippines, the governor
general saw to it that royal decrees and laws emanating from Spain were implemented
in the Philippines. He had the power to appoint and dismiss public officials, except those
personally chosen by the King. He also supervised all government offices and the collection
of taxes.
The governor general exercised certain legislative powers, as well. He issued proclamations
to facilitate the implementation of laws.

The Residencia
This was a special judicial court that investigates the performance of a governor general
who was about to be replaced. The residencia, of which the incoming governor general was
usually a member, submitted a report of its findings to the King.

The Visita
The Council of the Indies in Spain sent a government official called the Vistador General to
observe conditions in the colony. The Visitador General reported his findings directly to the
King.

The Royal Audiencia

Apart from its judicial functions, the Royal Audiencia served as an advisory body to the
Governor General and had the power to check and a report on his abuses. The Audiencia
also audited the expenditures of the colonial government and sent a yearly report to Spain.
The Archbishop and other government officials could also report the abuses of
the colonial government to be Spanish king. Despite all these checks, however, an abusive
governor general often managed to escape stiff fines, suspension, or dismissal by simply
bribing the Visitador and other investigators.

The Provincial Government

The Spaniards created local government units to facilitate the countrys administration.
There were two types of local government units the alcadia and the corregimiento. The
alcadia, led by the alcalde mayor, governed the provinces that had been fully subjugated:
the corregimiento, headed by corregidor, governed the provinces that were not yet entirely
under Spanish control. The alcalde mayors represented the Spanish king and the governor
general in their respective provinces. They managed the day-to-day operations of the
provincial government, implemented laws and supervised the collection of taxes. Through
they were paid a small salary, they enjoyed privileges such as the indulto de comercio, or
the right to participate in the galleon trade.

The Municipal Government

Each province was divided into several towns or pueblos headed by Gobernadordcillos,
whose main concerns were efficient governance and tax collection. Four lieutenants aided
the Governardorcillo: the Teniente Mayor (chief lieutenant), the Teniente de Policia (police
lieutenant), the Teniente de Sementeras (lieutenant of the fields) and the Teniente de
Ganados (lieutenant of the livestock).

The Encomienda System

Spain owed the colonization of the Philippines to Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who valiantly and
loyally served the Spanish crown. To hasten the subjugation of the country, King Philip
II instructed Legazpi to divide the Philippines into large territories called encomiendas, to be
left to the management of designated encomenderos.

To show his gratitude to his conquistadors, the King made them the first encomenderos
in the colony. As the Kings representatives in their respective encomiendas, the
encomenderos had the right to collect taxes. However, the encomiendas were not there to
own. The encomenderos were only territorial overseers who had the duty to: 1) protect the
people in the encomienda; (2) maintain peace and order; (3) promote education and health
programs; and (4) help the missionaries propagate Christianity.Continue to The Galleon
Trade.