. ▁His ▁operation ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁reve al ▁id ios ync ras ies ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁visual ▁system . ▁For ▁example , ▁not ▁having ▁grown ▁up ▁with ▁vision , ▁Brad ford ▁did ▁not ▁perce ive ▁the ▁ambigu ity ▁of ▁the ▁Ne cker ▁cube . ▁Nor ▁was ▁he ▁able ▁to ▁interpret ▁the ▁perspective ▁of ▁two - dimensional ▁art . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁he ▁could ▁accur ately ▁judge ▁the ▁distance ▁to ▁objects ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁room , ▁having ▁been ▁familiar ▁with ▁these ▁distances ▁before ▁reg aining ▁sight ▁by ▁virtue ▁of ▁having ▁walked ▁them . ▁In ▁a ▁similar ▁anal ogy ▁between ▁vision ▁and ▁sight less ▁( touch - only ) ▁experience , ▁Brad ford ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁vis ually ▁read ▁the ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁w ard ▁clock ▁just ▁after ▁his ▁operation . ▁Before ▁surg ery ▁Brad ford ▁was ▁a ▁mach in ist , ▁but ▁even ▁after ▁acqu iring ▁vision ▁preferred ▁working ▁with ▁his ▁eyes ▁closed ▁to ▁identify ▁tools . ▁He ▁died ▁two ▁years ▁after ▁his ▁operation ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁prolong ed ▁period ▁of ▁ill ▁health , ▁with ▁no ▁specific ▁cause ▁of ▁death ▁noted . ▁ ▁Michael ▁May ▁ ▁Michael ▁G . ▁" M ike " ▁May ▁( born ▁ 1 9 5 4 ) ▁was ▁blind ed ▁by ▁a ▁chemical ▁explos ion ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 3 ▁but ▁reg ained ▁partial ▁vision ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁at ▁ 4 6 , ▁after ▁cor ne al ▁trans plant ation ▁and ▁a ▁pione ering ▁stem ▁cell ▁procedure ▁by ▁San ▁Francisco ▁o ph th alm