Feb

8

Photoshop Exposes Optical Illusion

Filed under Science |

One of these optical illusions came across my desk again…

optical illusion

which claims that the fields marked A and B have the same gray level. Just looking at the image it is obvious that this could not possibly be. So, normally, the untrained non-scientific mind would push it aside, maybe say, wow, really?! and wander on.

But this is where I came in - a trained scientist! And this scientist now really had enough of this and went on the quest to look for himself.

I started up trusty photoshop, zoomed into an area that contained both the fields A and B, cut a bit out of field A and dragged it next to field B …

optical illusion demonstrated

And what do you know? When the cut out little square from A is right next to field B, it is very clear that they are the same shade of gray - quod erat demimonstrum!

And we still trust our eyes? A little shadow so that the eye ‘thinks’ that the field must be brighter, makes it brighter for the eye. Could not help contemplating how many things there are that I don’t see and how many things I see that are not there.


Posted by Merlin Silk - February 8th, 2008

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6 Comments so far

  1. ashley on July 25, 2008 6:04 pm

    are you sure that it wasnt saying the LETTER a and the LETTER b are the same shade of gray

  2. Liono on July 26, 2008 8:10 am

    hhahahahaha i think thats exactly right ashley - HHAHAHAHAH shut down in one sentence author..feel gooooooooooooooood?

  3. Noodle on August 9, 2008 11:03 am

    That is cool! I did the same thing… and what do you know? It was right!

  4. Mia on August 13, 2008 11:52 pm

    that ia really crazy! i couldn’t believe it!!!

  5. Chuck on August 27, 2008 12:39 pm

    Sorry folks but look closely . . . .
    The little, lower right corner that came from the square A cut out is lighter. Also why is the square next to B not the same as the piece from A?
    Call me . . . I have a bridge you might be interested in.

  6. Merlin on September 30, 2008 8:57 pm

    wow - I had not expected any comments on THAT post - this is so irrelevant - and yes, I really just cut out a square in photoshop and moved it - did not try to trick anybody - if you think of conspiracy then just try it yourself - it’s easy enough - and yes, this little (seemingly) white corner is really the medium gray from two fields above - but again - if it’s that important for you - just try it yourself. The do something important and think about something like supporting our troops