Illusions

[Andrew]

Got this in an email. It is one of the few forwarded emails that are actually cool.

If your eyes follow the movement of the rotating pink dot, you will only see one color, pink.

However. if you stare at the black "+" in the center,

the moving dot turns to green.

Now, concentrate on the black "+" in the center of the picture.

After a short period, all the pink dots will slowly disappear , and you will only see a green dot rotating.

It's amazing how our brain works. There really is no green dot, and the pink ones really don't disappear. This should be proof enough, we don't always see what we think we see.

Download the file and view it (animated)

Post your illusions! (Could've been a thread for this already, but couldn't find it)

[GUNWOUNDS]

.... its pretty simple.... your rods in your retina burn out and you see the opposite color.  Stare at red and you will see blue.... stare at blue and you will see red.

[gryphon]

It's amazing how our brain works. There really is no green dot, and the pink ones really don't disappear. This should be proof enough, we don't always see what we think we see.

It's simply a matter of focus. (just as why the moon foto's don't all show stars in the background to foil that conspiracy)

And to proove we don't always see the truth you only need to look a a pensil that's half in a glass of water. Looks bended doesn't it ?

[Anathema]

While focussing on one circle you'll see other circles as black at the rim of your vision once you move your eyes.

I think this one also qualifies as an optical illusion:

Google Escher if you want more of that.

[Andrew]

Puzzle

Good thing. Try to find the difference in the photo as it gradually changes.

[Timenn]

And to proove we don't always see the truth you only need to look a a pensil that's half in a glass of water. Looks bended doesn't it ?

Actually that is no illusion created by the human mind, but a result of refraction. You see how it actually appears (your mind is not messing it up)

[erjin999]

Puzzle

Good thing. Try to find the difference in the photo as it gradually changes.

Got as far as number 11 (people in front of a building "if you notice it you must be genius") and gave up, its not easy for me !

[gryphon]

Actually that is no illusion created by the human mind, but a result of refraction. You see how it actually appears (your mind is not messing it up)

I was never refering to illusions created by the mind per se. An illusion can be created by many things. From simple aspects like perpective, to optical- and mind-illusions.

Just the common thing, an illusion makes you believe to see something for real which is actually a distorted images. :)

[Caid Ivik]

.... its pretty simple.... your rods in your retina burn out and you see the opposite color.  Stare at red and you will see blue.... stare at blue and you will see red.

this phenomenon always interested me, ie when I look at sun it always made an azure blur over the disc, and it remained in the eye for a while; I asked a teacher of biology and she said it was a persistence of neural signal...this seems to be more clear ;D

[Egeides]

A view of ourselves in the mirror is quite an illusion. I'm rather flat in there, although I don't really know why.