In a test, 80 percent of participants believed that the large black oval in the image above was growing. But here, nothing moves. Expanding Hole What do you see? The black oval grows The black oval does not grow Show result As you have probably realized, the image is completely still. It is the diffuse edge of the oval that tricks us into thinking it is moving. But why is that so? – Most things around us are in motion. To perceive the present, the brain must prepare us for movement. That is why the pupils dilate when we approach a tunnel, which this illusion resembles, explains Bruno Laeng. He is professor of cognitive neuropsychology at the University of Oslo. Together with colleagues, he has carried out experiments to find answers. Brighter than white Illustration: Akiyoshi Kitaoka What do you see here? The center of the flower is lighter than white The center of the flower is white Show result This is another of Laeng’s experiments. Here, many people answer that the light in the center of the flower is brighter than the white around it. The researchers found this out by measuring the participants’ pupils. The pupils contract to protect the eyes from too much light. Which is actually quite smart and logical in certain situations – for example, when you as a driver are blinded by the sun. Train tracks with bend Are there different sizes of train tracks? The train tracks are exactly the same, but it looks like the bottom one is the longest. Here we compare the short side of the top rail with the long side of the bottom rail, and it tricks us into thinking they have different lengths. It is the psychologist Joseph Jastrow who is known for this illusion. An optical illusion is a visual deception. It makes us perceive an image as something other than it actually is. This challenges our perception of reality. Do you remember when this became a big talking point in social media? People really disagreed about what color the dress was. At the time, some researchers believed that those with a more active brain see a white dress. It is actually black and blue. Photo: Screenshot Spinning dancer Which way is she spinning? To the right To the left Show result Both parts are correct. If you see her from a different angle, she might change direction. It can also help to see the dancer slightly obliquely from below, if you have trouble seeing her spin the other way. It is the lack of depth that makes it difficult to see which arm and which leg is in front and which is behind. Blinking grid with invisible dots What do you see in this grid? It flashes all the time It does not flash Show result Where the lines cross each other there are white dots, and they vary between flashing black and white when you are not looking directly at them. When you fix your gaze on a point, it stops blinking. The explanation for why we experience this may lie in where on the retina the visual impression hits. It can also be about how we interpret what we see. But there is no perfect explanation. Classic Illusion Illustration: William Ely Hill What do you see here? Young girl with a hat Old woman Show result Some people see the young girl, while others see the old woman. – Sensory perceptions can be influenced by how the body feels. So says Audrey van der Meer, who is a neuroscientist and professor of neuropsychology at NTNU. When we see an optical illusion, the eyes send signals to the brain, and we perceive them differently. The interpretation of impressions is called perception. Perception is based, among other things, on knowledge, experience, expectation and emotional state. – For example, a hill can look less steep after you have eaten a walking chocolate. In perception theory, we prefer to say that we are our body rather than that we are our brain, says van der Meer. Shepard’s elephant Illustration: Roger Shepard How many legs does the elephant have? The elephant has four legs, but as you can see, something is not right. We cannot distinguish the elephant from the background. This image is widely discussed, and is referred to as one of the most famous and classic optical illusions. A tip might be to try to cover the bottom edge of the image. Then you will see the top of an elephant with four(!) legs. Necker’s Cube Photo: Louis Albert Necker What do you see here? A cube where the lower left square is in front A cube where the upper right square is in front Show result We are looking for a depth that is not there. Therefore, it can be seen in two ways. If you change the angle from which you see it, you might discover the opposite. Necker’s cube was first published in 1832 by Louis Albert Necker. On the football pitch Photo: Morten Waagø / news Is the orange sign flat or three-dimensional? (Answer before you swipe further) Flat Three-dimensional Show result This advertising sign at Lerkendal can look like it is standing upright at a point. In reality, it lies flat. Otherwise, it’s not possible to stand on it, is it? Most of us believe that we see things as they are. And suddenly we are deceived. Can the fact that we see things differently also be transferred to other areas of the world, such as politics, love and religion? Perhaps this can be a reminder that it is possible to see a case from several sides…
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That is why our brains are deceived by optical illusions – news Trøndelag
