What do You See? Brain Game Test - News.com.au

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a brain game test involving an optical illusion of a spinning figure, exploring perceptions of its rotational direction. Participants share their experiences and interpretations, touching on concepts of left-brain and right-brain thinking, creativity, and the nature of visual perception.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants see the figure spinning counter-clockwise, while others perceive it as spinning clockwise.
  • A few participants report being able to switch their perception between the two directions with concentration or by changing their focus.
  • One participant argues that the shadow of the figure indicates it must be spinning clockwise, while another challenges this assertion, suggesting both directions are plausible.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the validity of the left-brain/right-brain dichotomy in relation to the illusion.
  • Several participants mention their personal experiences with the illusion, including feelings of confusion or surprise when the direction appears to change.
  • One participant notes that their ambidexterity may influence their perception of the spinning direction.
  • Another participant describes a technique involving verbal cues to switch the perceived direction of the spin.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the direction of the spin, with multiple competing views remaining. Some agree on the ability to see both directions, while others firmly assert one direction over the other.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of confidence in their interpretations, and some mention the influence of visual details, such as shadows, on their perceptions. The discussion includes references to personal experiences and subjective interpretations of the illusion.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in optical illusions, cognitive psychology, and the interplay between perception and creativity may find this discussion engaging.

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http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22492511-5005375,00.html?from=mostpop

I personally see it going counter clockwise which means I have absolutely no imagination and am left brained and this might explain how I can only draw by technically photocopying a picture into my brain and then producing that on paper as an enlarged or reduced size picture with a pencil but have absolutely no capability to "create" a cartoon or person picture on my own.

They say you can go and reverse the way the person is spinning but it's just not feasible to my brain.

so..what do you see?

help in determining what you are seeing below:
http://www.whatapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/app_ss_the_brain_game_2.jpg
 
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That is weird, i was sat here thinking it is going anti clockwise how can anyone see it differently, when it started to go clockwise for a few seconds then reverted to anti clock wise.
I have to go to the doctors tomorrow anyway.
 
I can see it go both ways. Just keep looking at it, and you'll see it switch directions
 
Oh good, glad I wasent the only one one seeing it fo both ways. The switch sort of startled me.
 
I took this test to check my brain out.

http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_results.pl

I am 52 left 48 right.
 
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cant see how anyone could see it going clockwise, its clearly anti clockwise :confused:
 
Clockwise...I can't see it any other way.

But my connection must be poor, since she keeps pausing for a second or two.

Update: I just looked again, but not directly at her...and she switched directions for a few seconds! How bizzarre!
 
I can see both.
 
I can see both but in reality - this is bollocks.

It IS actually clockwise if your brain takes into account all the detail - specifically, the shadow. It's impossible for the shadow to act like that if she's spinning anti-clockwise regardless of the light source.

The image isn't spinning but doing a weird sort of flip.
 
  • #10
It didn't reverse while I was looking at it, but every time I looked away for a few seconds it changed. I'm ambidextrous, though, so I don't have a hemisphere dominance.
 
  • #11
I saw big boobies. (going clockwise).
 
  • #12
I see a beautiful woman dancing. She smiles as she beckons me to unimaginable pleasures. I reach out ... wait here comes my wife. I see a shadow sometimes turning clockwise, sometime anticlockwise. Has the old bat left yet?
 
  • #13
didn't someone post this thing before?

anyway, I can make it go either way as I choose. I'm left handed; I don't know if that has anything to do with it.
 
  • #14
dst said:
It IS actually clockwise if your brain takes into account all the detail - specifically, the shadow. It's impossible for the shadow to act like that if she's spinning anti-clockwise regardless of the light source.
Good point! The shadow breaks the degeneracy. I can only picture her going clockwise (looking from above), but absent the shadow, I know that she can be just as easily pictured going counter-clockwise. Still, after a minute or so of trying (with the shadow hidden), I couldn't get myself to picture a counter-clockwise rotation.

PS: See also: http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/fcs_hollow-face/index.html
 
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  • #15
I can see it going either direction, with just a little bit of concentration.
 
  • #16
I generally see it clockwise based on right leg extended, and for balance one would turn clockwise. If left leg was extended (and body tilted accordingly), then it would appear counter-clockwise.

If I look at it, I can actually see it going either way, but ccw just looks weird and unnatural.

Nicely proportioned - btw. :biggrin:
 
  • #17
I stared at it a good five or six minutes and don't understand how anyone can see it spinning counter-clockwise. Her right arm and right leg is bent at approximately a 45° angle. That same arm and leg appears on her right side and continues to swing around to the front, then continues to left and back around again... clockwise.

If she was appearing to spin counterclockwise, wouldn't her limbs be moving from left to right when she is facing the viewer?
 
  • #18
B. Elliott said:
I stared at it a good five or six minutes and don't understand how anyone can see it spinning counter-clockwise. Her right arm and right leg is bent at approximately a 45° angle. That same arm and leg appears on her right side and continues to swing around to the front, then continues to left and back around again... clockwise.

If she was appearing to spin counterclockwise, wouldn't her limbs be moving from left to right when she is facing the viewer?

Try looking about 10 cm to the left. When I do that, she goes counter-clockwise. Then move your eyes to the shadow, and she pops back to clockwise.
 
  • #19
Look at one of the legs of the rotating figure.

Once you are convinced that she is rotating clockwise, or anticlockwise, say to yourself "in front, behind; in front, behind;..." as that leg goes first in front of and then behind the other one.

Then deliberately reverse the spoken sequence, i.e. "in front, behind; in front, behind; behind, in front; behind, in front;..."

Say it convincingly enough and the figure will rotate in the opposite direction!

Garth
 
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  • #20
dst said:
I can see both but in reality - this is bollocks.

It IS actually clockwise if your brain takes into account all the detail - specifically, the shadow. It's impossible for the shadow to act like that if she's spinning anti-clockwise regardless of the light source.

The image isn't spinning but doing a weird sort of flip.


?? what's impossible about the counter-clockwise spin? her posture seems a little awkward CCW, but as an object I don't see the impossibility (it doesn't have to be a shadow, maybe it's a very opaque black object, or a high-contrast picture with the light source behind the object). both CW and CCW spins work equally well for me.

EDIT: anyone else here would really like to meet whomever modeled for this picture. she looks hot :!)
 
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  • #21
lisab said:
Try looking about 10 cm to the left. When I do that, she goes counter-clockwise. Then move your eyes to the shadow, and she pops back to clockwise.

That did it! It's definitely one of the weirder illusions I've seen. The counter motion does seem a little strange with the way she's positioned... that's probably what kept me seeing it that way. I didn't even notice the shadow until darklight mentioned it.

A really good Scientific American I have (maybe July or Aug '07) went in depth into optical illusions and how the eye shutters and scans objects to update optical info. It also showed a few neat tricks... disappearing dots, color changing rings, wave patters that seem to move as you move your eyes over it. Neat stuff.
 
  • #22
Like these?

veryodd1kb.jpg


try to count the black dots

blackdots4mi.gif
 
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  • #23
Evo said:
try to count the black dots

blackdots4mi.gif

This is a good one----

I'd like to see it used by the cops as a sobriety test


--------------

The black 'dots' disappear after a few seconds if you keep your eyes on 'one' white 'dot' for that few seconds
 
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  • #24
Evo said:
Like these?

no... those are way more intense! I think I'm starting to feel a little sick. lol.
 
  • #25
Is any of that left brain right brain stuff true?

Is its direction determinant of which side of the brain you use? Are the characteristics true?
 
  • #26
moe darklight said:
?? what's impossible about the counter-clockwise spin? her posture seems a little awkward CCW, but as an object I don't see the impossibility (it doesn't have to be a shadow, maybe it's a very opaque black object, or a high-contrast picture with the light source behind the object). both CW and CCW spins work equally well for me.
The shadow is the thing on the floor, below her. It breaks the CW, CCW degeneracy.
 
  • #27
CINA said:
Is any of that left brain right brain stuff true?

Is its direction determinant of which side of the brain you use? Are the characteristics true?
I seriously doubt it. I removed the left side of my brain, but it had no effect on my thought process.
Then I removed the right side. Still nothing.
 
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  • #28
Gokul43201 said:
The shadow is the thing on the floor, below her. It breaks the CW, CCW degeneracy.

I get a smile out of it for the idea that they even included the nipples
 
  • #29
She was going clockwise for at least two minutes before I could get her to go CCW. My boss saw her going CCW first, but was easily able to get her to flip. Another female in my office saw her going CCW first too. I wasn't able to make her "flip" until I was reading the left brain/right brain traits.

You men are funny.
 
  • #30
I can't seem to make it appear counter-clockwise. It's REALLY solid clockwise to my brain.
 

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