awesome optical illusion

[mckitterick]

This is just too cool. Had to share (from Richard Wiseman's blog):


Click the image to see the blog entry.

[Poll #1446409]
Best,
Chris

Comments

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

I don't see an actual spiral, but something more like a Spirograph-generated pattern (which probably has a fancy name).

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

That's actually what I saw first, too. I meant to put this in as an option:

"Interlocking Spirograph-type design"

But I clicked "post poll" too soon, and one can't edit 'em.

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

I still have my original Spirograph, in its box, with everything complete except for the pens. It must be at least 40 years old.

[amysisson.livejournal.com]

I wish I still had mine!

It's funny, while I knew it was concentric circles, my eyes really did see "spiral".

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

I'm seeing a spirograph-like thing, too. I clicked "spiral" because it seemed closest.

[countrycousin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd probably have gone with "Interlocking Spirograph-type design". What I actually saw was a circle where I looked and spirals outside. That morphed to circles when I looked at them directly. Weird.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Exactly that. I have tracked them with my eyes, and I know they are circles - but God, my head does not wish to accept that. It is bloody hard to look upon...

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

I had to track them with my finger!

[avylou.livejournal.com]

Same here!

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

"All of the above"/"none of the above" are often useful additions to polls.

[drpaisley.livejournal.com]

Along with the ever-popular "I wish to complain about this poll." And "clicky!"

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

I can see the concentric circles, but have to work at it. And even if I follow the third-in circle carefully, it's difficult for me to resolve as a circle.

[chernobylred.livejournal.com]

I understand the mechanics/illusion of the spiral, but I don't see it, myself. Seeing the concentric circles comes more naturally, but mostly what I see are little boxes, arranged in circular shapes.

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

This

[chernobylred.livejournal.com]

GMTA!

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

Since I tend to look at the center of things first, I saw the first ring and knew concentric circles, but it was fun to also "see" the spirals in the box patterns.

[corwynofamber.livejournal.com]

For me it is distance related.
From about 4 to 5 feet away it looks like the Spirgraph circles.
From 4 to about 1 foot away it looks like a spiral
Less than a foot it is concentric circles.

[lanerobins.livejournal.com]

Both for me. The innermost ring and the outermost look like circles to me, but the in-between--totally intertwined.

Brain hurts.

[tully01.livejournal.com]

My eyes "see" the spriograph efect, but my brain knows it's circles.

And both are calling me back to my home universe before I go blind.

I saw it already

[dragonet2.livejournal.com]

Maybe on Bad Astronomer, so I know what's going on with it.

So I'm standing down from the poll.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Well, but there is a difference between what we see and what it is!!

[newroticgirl.livejournal.com]

I saw the spiral first, then traced it with my mouse and saw that it was circles!! Mind = boggled. ;) Now I'm gonna stare at it until I figure out how it works.....

[garyomaha.livejournal.com]

I am going to say this only because it has such fond memories for me, and perhaps at least one other person on your list will also have the recollection:

It looks to me strikingly similar to the old ABC American Contemporary Radio logo of the 60s-70s.