Gianni A. Sarcone - Optical Illusions: An Eye-Popping Extravaganza of Visual Tricks

OPTICAL ILLUSIONSAn Eye-Popping Extravaganza of Visual Tricks Gianni A. Sarcone and Marie-Jo Waeber Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York Copyright Copyright 2014 by Gianni A. Sarcone and Marie-Jo Waeber All rights reserved. Bibliographical NoteOptical Illusions: An Eye-Popping Extravaganza of Visual Tricks is a new work, first published by Dover Publications, Inc., in 2014. International Standard Book NumbereISBN-13: 978-0-486-78295-9 Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation 49354701 2014 www.doverpublications.com CONTENTS INTRODUCTIONReality is merely an illusion,
albeit a very persistent one.-- Albert Einstein Dear Reader, Everything you see depends strongly on the context and attention you give to it.

The mind and the world you experience are inseparable, as it is your 3-pound brain that make the world meaningful. Seeing isnt some kind of direct perception of reality. Actually, our bairns are constantly interpreting, correcting, and giving structure to the visual input form our eyes. If this were not the case, you would not see any colors (consider that all the beautiful colors you see dont really exist), and you would probably see the world upside-down! Moreover, you would notice in your visual field a very large dot, called the blind spot, where the optical nerve enters the eye. A Zen master said once: If you pour water into a cup, water becomes the cup; if you fill a bottle with water, it becomes the bottle! Likewise, the context shapes the appearance of the world surrounding you. Your brains work by comparing information and stimuli: contrasting colors, shapes, depth in a dynamic changing environment thats why perception is relative and not absolute.

Detecting something is not necessarily simple: your senses may perceive a stimulus, but that doesnt mean that you are paying attention to it! There are a lot of things you miss or ignore in your everyday life, because your brain focuses only on what seems important in that particular moment of your life. Removing or neglecting information is often more useful, because it allows you to take action in a more accurate and rapid manner, and to enjoy lifes benefits. Though you can see less than 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum and hear less than 1% of the acoustic spectrum, under the right conditions you can see the flicker of a small candle up to 9 miles (15 km) away, and can hear a watch ticking 20 feet (6 meters) away! However, if economy of perception makes functional living and survival possible, it is also the cause of many optical illusions. From prehistory to the present day, optical illusions have helped us to reflect upon the reality of what is seen and understand a little better some of the errors of perception we make. Over the years, scientists have been studying and utilizing optical illusions to gain insights into how our brains interpret information and build a representation of the surroundings. Yet illusions can also be employed as inspiration or improvement tools.

In fact, stepping outside your comfort zone and thinking in ways that are both creative and challenging to your visual perception is a kind of exercise that may increase your brain flexibility. Research says that humans are programmed to enjoy surprise. So, I am not surprised that many people love optical illusions, because they always convey a sense of WONDER. Dear reader, enjoy being deceived by the optical illusions and visual puzzles you will find along the way in this book, and dont be afraid to make a lot of mistakes, because they are just important stages on the road of knowledge.

---

Most probably your brains have automatically corrected the sentence to actually, our brains are constantly interpreting, correcting, and giving structure to the visual input from our eyes. Its amazing, isnt it?About the Author As an author, designer, and researcher in the field of visual perception and creative thinking, I like to combine art, psychology, cognitive sciences, and recreational logic to test peoples ingenuity.

I have created or adapted most of the illusions contained in this book. Many were created and perfected during my workshops which are held for the benefit of children and adults alike (more information at: (http://www.archimedes-lab.org/prospatelier.html). For me, imagination, inventiveness, and exploration are the cornerstones of a meaningful life. Each helps to stimulate our mind and assures us of a fulfilling day, every day. As an artist, I feel it is my task, as well as my pleasure, to entertain an audience with illusions that challenge the mind and bring a sense of WONDER. This book is intended to communicate the latest discoveries in the field of visual perception in an entertaining way.

I hope it will also prompt the curious to look beyond what seems obvious, to think and to see outside of the box! Gianni A. Sarcone Artist and visual perception researcherSHAPES, DISTANCES & SIZES Our brains often translate the physical image we perceive into an image which is more useful to our senses. But, as you will experience in this chapter, there is a sharp distinction between the actual size of an object, its apparent or relative size, and its imaginary size. Shape distortion and errors of size estimation have various causes, including the fact that we think in 3D even when we look at photos or drawings. Answers to this section begin on page A Question of HandsHat StoryPointing FingersPuzzling HubcapsFrench DilemmaHypnotic DiscBoing Effect?Puzzling DisksWhat Is It?Hovering DiamondsCrowd of Young PeopleGoldfish Problem

Next page