Parts of our brain are temporarily “switched off” when we blink, scientists have found.

The team from University College London found that the brain shuts down parts of the visual system for each blink, they also say this was the case even if light was still entering the eyes.

The researchers said this could explain why people do not notice their own blinking, as it gave us an “uninterrupted view of the world”. A blink lasts for between 100 and 150 milliseconds. We automatically blink 10 to 15 times a minute to moisten and oxygenate the cornea. During a blink, there is no visual input and no light, but we do not consciously recognise everything has momentarily gone dark.

BBC Article