Opening Remarks of the President, 2nd ISVO, Professor G.M. Breinin, M.D. The study of visual processes is surely unique as a clinical specialty, in corporating the disciplines of physics, chemistry, physiology, and psycho logy. Diagnosing and correcting disorders of the visual system in these last two decades of the 20th century has brought all of us into close prox imity with computer sciences, laser technology, the marvels of electronic microcircuitry, and the impressive developments in optical materials. Dur ing the course of this meeting we shall be hearing about how these different technologies can interact with one another, and we shall discover that such interaction may produce new diagnostic tools and new optical devices. We shall also learn that the optical qualities of the eye change during life, producing subtle and complex alterations in vision. On behalf of the members and organizing committee of the American Commit tee on Optics and Visual Physiology and our co-sponsoring organization, the Optical Society of America, I welcome you to this second symposium on visual optics. The first symposium took place in Japan in 1978 and, like the pres ent one, was a satellite meeting of the International Congress of Ophthal mology. The third symposium in this series will take place in Italy in 1986 as part of the next session of the International Congress of Ophthalmology.