OPTICAL ILLUSIONS
BY DAN MILLER
January 30, 2007
Both tables depicted in the accompanying sketch are exactly the same length!
I know it's hard to believe.... but measure them....
And -- here's a tip -- you can click on each of these 5 illusions with your mouse to enlarge them.
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The second image is strange as well.
It's simply a descending staircase.... but if you stare at it long enough, you'll notice the descending stairs will sort of flip, and come from a different direction (almost upside down).
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The third image is a triangular shaped thing that -- when you look closely -- you'll notice it would be impossible to build out of wood, or plastic, or anything for that matter (though I'm fairly certain my father made one of these once with duck tape).
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The fourth image is a puzzler as well.
Again, click on it to make it bigger, then simply stare at it.
It will appear that there's movement inside the image.... but there's not.... it's all in your silly brain.
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The fifth image is my favorite.
Click and make it bigger.... and look closely.... and you'll see what it really is.
Now, if your child should ask you how these visual tricks occur, here's part of an explanation I found on a university website:
"In psychophisics, stimuli are classified as either proximal or distal. Proximal refers to the patterns of energy impinging on receptors. Distal refers to the patterns of energy that emanate from objects. Our computational brains abstract from neural signals generated in response to proximal stimuli, but products resulting from the abstractions must correspond with the distal stimulus to have veridical experiences. The pattern of stimulation on each of your curved retinas is a trapezoid curved in the x, y, & z-dimensions, but the.......zzzzzzzZZ zzZZzzZZ zzZZzzZZ zzZZzz ZZzzZZzz zzzzzzzZZ zzzz zzzzzz ZZZ zzzzzzz ZZZZZzzzz ZZZ
Hey! Hey! Wake up!!!
Here's another option....
This is what I say to my daughter when she asks me to explain things like this....
"Ask Mommy, she'll explain it."
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