Clustering commodity displays into a Tiled Display Wall (TDW) provides a cost-effective way to create an extremely high resolution display, capable of approaching the image sizes now generated by modern astronomical instruments. Many research institutions have constructed TDWs on the basis that they will improve the scientific outcomes of astronomical imagery. We test this concept by presenting sample images to astronomers and non-astronomers using a standard desktop display (SDD) and a TDW. These samples include standard English words, wide field galaxy surveys and nebulae mosaics from the Hubble telescope. Our experiments show that TDWs provide a better environment than SDDs for searching for small targets in large images. They also show that astronomers tend to be better at searching images for targets than non-astronomers, both groups are generally better when employing physical navigation as opposed to virtual navigation, and that the combination of two non-astronomers using a TDW rivals the experience of a single astronomer. However, there is also a large distribution in aptitude amongst the participants and the nature of the content also plays a significant role in success.

By applying a display ecology to the Deeper, Wider, Faster proactive, simultaneous telescope observing campaign, we have shown a dramatic reduction in the time taken to inspect DECam CCD images for potential transient candidates and to produce time-critical triggers to standby telescopes. We also show how facilitating rapid corroboration of potential candidates and the exclusion of non-candidates improves the accuracy of detection; and establish that a practical and enjoyable workspace can improve the experience of an otherwise taxing task for astronomers. We provide a critical road-test of two advanced displays in a research context -a rare opportunity to demonstrate how they can be used rather than simply discuss how they might be used to accelerate discovery.

Many studies have demonstrated that people will adjust their behavioral response to a reward on the basis of the time taken to receive the reward. Yet despite growing evidence that time and space are not mentally independent, there has been no examination of whether spatial distance may also affect the way people respond to rewarding objects. We examined speeded binary decisions about objects associated with high, low, or no reward for correct responses. Using a 3-D display, we varied perceived spatial distance so that objects appeared at distances near to or far from participants. Both the speed and the accuracy of responses were better for high-reward objects compared with low- and no-reward objects, but this difference occurred only when the objects appeared at near distance to participants. These results demonstrate that when people respond to rewarding objects, they show sensitivity to spatial-distance information even if the information is irrelevant to the task.