A pattern in the imaging data: mere artefact of spatio-temporal resolution

Abstract

{\it ' Seeing is believing '} \cite{north06}- is the fundamental philosophy of optical imaging based on light microscopy \cite{ntziachristos10}. Since the pioneering works of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and Robert Hooke in the 17th century, optical microscopy has served as one of the most important tools in biological sciences \cite{thorn16}. But interpreting visual observations with preconceived notions can potentially mislead one to erroneous conclusions.Here we report one such case where, at first sight, the interesting pattern extracted from the images of axonal transport may appear to reveal some hitherto unknown features of cargo transport driven by cytoskeletal motors \cite{ross16}. It may even be tempting to theorize about the possible molecular mechanisms that could give rise the observed pattern. But, as we conclusively demonstrate here, these patterns are mere artifacts of the spatial and temporal resolutions of imaging microscopes. These observed patterns, and their interpretations, are rather universal in the sense that in all those experiments where an observer (or machine), having limited spatial and temporal resolution, tracks the movement of classical objects moving on a one-dimensional track, such enticing patterns will invariably emerge. Our analysis here exposes pitfalls lurking in the way one interprets such patterns; unless critically analyzed, believing in whatever one is seeing, one could draw an illusory conclusion.