Another optical illusion

[n2doc]

Same basic principle as the spiral I posted a while back.



This optical illusion, devised by psychologist Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire in England and created by software developer Matthew Wilkes, makes a map of the world appear more differentiated than it actually is. In reality, the "green" stripes through the landmasses and the "blue" stripes in bodies of water are the same color—the brain perceives them as being different colors based on the intervening contrasting stripes, which do in fact vary from orange to purple.* (For confirmation, check out a small section—the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka—enlarged to show detail.)


http://www.scientificamerican.com/gallery_directory.cfm?photo_id=5B62A46D-F560-251B-B9205E05F5185BF5

[LynzM]

1. Nifty, but so weird....

Our brains do some pretty interesting things! :)

[Salviati]

2. this one isn't quite as dramatic as the spiral.

Now that I now they're the same color, I can totally see it in the full picture. In the spiral, even though I know they're the same color, there is no way I can see them that way.

[amyrose2712]

3. My eyes just blurred and I couldn't see. No kidding.

[Odin2005]

4. My Asperger's sensory oddities must be showing, the illusion didn't work on me.

But ow, my eyes, sensory overload...

[AlecBGreen]

5. what does it look like to you?

:)

[Odin2005]

6. brown continents and purple seas, with green lines covering it.

and the green lines hurt my eyes! :crazy:

[eppur_se_muova]

7. There are some impressive illusions in "Your Brain: The Missing Manual"

Unfortunately, the two I was looking for are not available at O'Reilly online. One of them has been posted here before:


Squares A and B are the same shade of gray.
http://web.mit.edu/persci/people/adelson/checkershadow_downloads.html

Full paper and other demos at Adelson's site.

If you find YB:TMM, check out the Rubik's Cube on p79 (or 80?)

[dalaigh lllama]

8. Wow. Even looking at the proof my brain won't accept it

I feel like such a "birther." :D