physics

Michael Bach (vision scientist)

Michael Bach (vision scientist) is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Michael Bach (vision scientist) rather than just read about it. In short: Michael Bach (born 10 April 1950) is a German scientist who researches ophthalmology, clinical electroencephalography, clinical electroretinography, visual acuity testing, and visual perception. Bach is the creator of website Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena, which began receiving over two million hits a day in 2005.

Key takeaways

Michael Bach (vision scientist) belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Michael Bach (vision scientist) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Michael Bach (vision scientist) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Michael Bach (born 10 April 1950) is a German scientist who researches ophthalmology, clinical electroencephalography, clinical electroretinography, visual acuity testing, and visual perception. Bach is the creator of website Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena, which began receiving over two million hits a day in 2005.

Life and work Bach was born in Berlin on 10 April 1950. In 1956, he moved with his family to Dortmund, where he attended school. From 1970 to 1972, Bach completed an undergraduate degree in physics at Ruhr University Bochum, then moved to the University of Freiburg, where he studied for a Master's degree in physics. In 1975, he began a part-time position running an electronics workshop in the Department of Psychology, then became a full-time research assistant in the Department of Neurology in 1978. Bach was awarded his Master's in physics in 1977 and his PhD, also in physics, in 1981, on the visual system. In 1981 he moved into a full-time position in the Department of Ophthalmology, rising to Professor in 1998, and being appointed as Head of Section Visual Function/Electrophysiology at the University Eye Hospital in 1999. After Bach's retirement in 2015 he became an Emeritus Scientist, continuing his research. In 1996, Bach began his service to the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision, establishing, with others, standards for clinical electroencephalography, electroretinography and electrooculography, and becoming the society's president from 2004 to 2011. In 1975, Bach married Ulrike Röhling. They have three adult children and one grandchild.

Awards 2006: Elfriede Aulhorn Prize 2015: Adachi Award from the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) 2015: Augenstern Research Prize 2017: Alumni Medal of the University Eye Clinic Munich 2018: Honorary membership in the ISCEV

Research Bach has conducted research in ophthalmology, electroretinography, and visual perception. One strand of his research has been to develop tests of visual acuity, using verbal responding or using brain activity. As of April 2026, Bach has published 394 scientific papers that have been cited 24873 times, giving him an h-index of 73. According to Neurotree, Bach has 16 academic children and 44 academic grandchildren.

Illusions Bach began his illusions web site as a hobby some time before 2005. He did not appreciate how popular the site was until he discovered that his internet service provider had suspended his account after it received more than one million hits per day. Bach upgraded his account and continued developing the site. As of April 2026, Bach's site contained 154 illusions, most interactive, and all with Bach's clear explanations. The site and Bach have won plaudits on the internet, in the news media, and in science journals. The site has also been used in scientific research into illusions.

Selected works Marmor, M. F.; Fulton, A. B.; Holder, G. E.; Miyake, Y.; Brigell, M.; Bach, M. (February 2009). "ISCEV Standard for full-field clinical electroretinography (2008 update)". Documenta Ophthalmologica. 118 (1): 69–77. doi:10.1007/s10633-008-9155-4. PMID 19030905. Bach, Michael (January 1996). "The Freiburg Visual Acuity Test — Automatic Measurement of Visual Acuity". Optometry and Vision Science. 73 (1): 49–53. doi:10.1097/00006324-199601000-00008. PMID 8867682. Odom, J. Vernon; Bach, Michael; Brigell, Mitchell; Holder, Graham E.; McCulloch, Daphne L.; Tormene, Alma Patrizia (February 2010). "ISCEV standard for clinical visual evoked potentials (2009 update)". Documenta Ophthalmologica. 120 (1): 111–119. doi:10.1007/s10633-009-9195-4. PMID 19826847. McCulloch, Daphne L.; Marmor, Michael F.; Brigell, Mitchell G.; Hamilton, Ruth; Holder, Graham E.; Tzekov, Radouil; Bach, Michael (February 2015). "ISCEV Standard for full-field clinical electroretinography (2015 update)". Documenta Ophthalmologica. 130 (1): 1–12. doi:10.1007/s10633-014-9473-7. PMID 25502644. Odom, J. Vernon; Bach, Michael; Barber, Colin; Brigell, Mitchell; Marmor, Michael F.; Tormene, Alma Patrizia; Holder, Graham E.; Vaegan (March 2004). "Visual evoked potentials standard (2004)". Documenta Ophthalmologica. 108 (2): 115–123. doi:10.1023/b:doop.0000036790.67234.22. PMID 15455794. S2CID 16956477. Schulze-Bonsel, Kilian; Feltgen, Nicolas; Burau, Hermann; Hansen, Lutz; Bach, Michael (1 March 2006). "Visual Acuities 'Hand Motion' and 'Counting Fingers' Can Be Quantified with the Freiburg Visual Acuity Test". Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 47 (3): 1236–1240. doi:10.1167/iovs.05-0981. PMID 16505064. Hood, Donald C.; Bach, Michael; Brigell, Mitchell; Keating, David; Kondo, Mineo; Lyons, Jonathan S.; Marmor, Michael F.; McCulloch, Daphne L.; Palmowski-Wolfe, Anja M. (February 2012). "ISCEV standard for clinical multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) (2011 edition)". Documenta Ophthalmologica. 124 (1): 1–13. doi:10.1007/s10633-011-9296-8. PMC 4466109. PMID 22038576. Heckenlively, John R.; Arden, Geoffrey B. (2006). Principles and Practice of Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-08346-1. Bach, Michael; Brigell, Mitchell G.; Hawlina, Marko; Holder, Graham E.; Johnson, Mary A.; McCulloch, Daphne L.; Meigen, Thomas; Viswanathan, Suresh (February 2013). "ISCEV standard for clinical pattern electroretinography (PERG): 2012 update". Documenta Ophthalmologica. 126 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1007/s10633-012-9353-y. PMID 23073702.

References

External links Homepage of Michael Bach Profile from the Homepage of the Freiburg University Eye Clinic Profile from the Homepage of GWUP, the German equivalent of The Skeptics Society and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Homepage of Bach's Visual Phenomena & Optical Illusions Homepage of Bach's on-line tests of visual acuity (‘FrACT’)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Michael Bach (vision scientist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Michael Bach (vision scientist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Michael Bach (vision scientist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Michael Bach (vision scientist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Michael Bach (vision scientist)

In research: Michael Bach (vision scientist) appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Michael Bach (vision scientist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Michael Bach (vision scientist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1950 births, 20th-century German biologists, 21st-century German scientists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Michael Bach (vision scientist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Michael Bach (vision scientist)” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Michael Bach (vision scientist) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Michael Bach (vision scientist) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Michael Bach (vision scientist) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Michael Bach (vision scientist) in simple terms?

Why does Michael Bach (vision scientist) matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Michael Bach (vision scientist)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Michael Bach (vision scientist).