Thread: Left Brain v Right Brain

  1. #1
    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    Left Brain v Right Brain

    I came across the following test.
    http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-23272,00.html

    At first the dancer appeared to rotate in the counter-clockwise direction and after some time
    in the clockwise direction.

    Is this really the illusion of my brain or some graphics trick/prank?
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

  2. #2
    & the hat of GPL slaying Thantos's Avatar
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    It is an optical illusion that has nothing to do with left/right brain.

  3. #3
    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    It is an optical illusion that has nothing to do with left/right brain.
    I understand it is an illusion.

    But in which direction does the dancer "really" rotate?
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

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  5. #5
    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    It is an optical illusion that has nothing to do with left/right brain.
    Yeah you are right.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spinning_Dancer

    But i must say it is a darn good illusion esp. after you see the switch happening.
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

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    Hardly, I fail to see the illusion: there was no way in which it appeared to me to rotate in any direction but clockwise. Not after I analyzed the frames, not after I closed one eye, not after I tried envisioning it otherwise. And I'm about as left-brain'd as they come. Although it may have had something to do with my being distracted by the auspiciously erect nipples.

    Here's a better illusion: http://www.grand-illusions.com/optic...agon_illusion/
    This one I've actually constructed in real-life (it sits beside me right now) and works just about 100% of the time.

  7. #7
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by @nthony View Post
    Hardly, I fail to see the illusion: there was no way in which it appeared to me to rotate in any direction but clockwise. Not after I analyzed the frames, not after I closed one eye, not after I tried envisioning it otherwise. And I'm about as left-brain'd as they come.
    That's because you're not supposed to focus. It's no different than seeing the image in those "magic paintings" from the 90s. You just have to relax your eyes as if you were going to fall asleep and it will appear to change directions. As Thantos said, there is nothing Left/Right brianed about it.
    Last edited by SlyMaelstrom; 10-29-2008 at 11:27 PM.
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    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    Hardly, I fail to see the illusion: there was no way in which it appeared to me to rotate in any direction but clockwise. Not after I analyzed the frames, not after I closed one eye, not after I tried envisioning it otherwise.
    If you see the legs of the dancer or the shadow of the dancer rather than the dancer as a whole you may be able to see it.It worked for me.

    Wonderful illusion!.Potentially can scare the unassuming in the dark moon light.;-p
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

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    The Right Honourable psychopath's Avatar
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    Took me a while, but I was eventually able to see it spin counter-clockwise. Not looking directly at the image seemed to be the only way I could see anything moving any way other than clockwise.

    EDIT: also weird, if I do manage to see it spin counter-clockwise, I start finding it hard to see it clockwise again. I'd have to look away for a minute or so.
    Last edited by psychopath; 10-30-2008 at 09:19 AM.
    M.Eng Computer Engineering Candidate
    B.Sc Computer Science

    Robotics and graphics enthusiast.

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