A SERIES of public events at Durham University will reveal how bats, people and machines use sound-echoes to ‘see’ the world.

The free lectures will reveal how humans and bats use echolocation to navigate and to orientate themselves.

The lectures will be followed by a round-table discussion on how vision loss affects daily living and spatial sensing and how echolocation can help.

Representatives from County Durham Society for the Blind and partially Sighted, Visibility, World Access for the Blind and Durham University’s sensory support team will take part in this discussion.

The events will take place on Thursday, June 19, and will be held in Room 228/229, Earth Sciences Building, Science Site, Durham University, DH1 3LE from 12.45pm to 5pm.

Event organiser Dr Lore Thaler, a lecturer in the university’s department of psychology, said: “This is a great opportunity to learn more about echolocation, how it works, and how it can be used to get around.

“The event is for anyone, blind or sighted; young or old; animal or computer enthusiasts; for people who wonder how the brain works; or just for the curious person.”

For more information visit: community.dur.ac.uk/lore.thaler/echo_event_durham.html.

Alternatively contact Dr Lore Thaler on telephone 0191 33 43290 or email lore.thaler@durham.ac.uk.