Slashdot Mirror
Flickering Curiosity?
N8F8 writes "Why do some people see monitor flicker more readily than others? I happen to be one of the lucky folks who can spot a 60Hz monitor from across the room. Most people seem oblivious to this flicker. Other people can only see it in their peripheral vision. I tried researching an answer and I stumbled on plenty of information about something called 'Critical Fusion Frequency'. There even appears to be quite a bit of research into this phenomena but I couldn't find much information on why flicker perception varies so greatly. Can anyone shed some (flicker-free) light on this?"
Wait, what's this about refresh rates?
Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
I think he means it in the way that someone might say, "I'm one of those lucky people who have explosive bouts of diarrhea eight times a day."
Sometimes I can really see it when I've been out the night before and it coincides with the frequency of the throbbing of my head.
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
I can tell you anything you need to know about your monitor. They speak to me, in a very high pitched form of basic.
Let me hold your monitor cord, press my forhead to your screen, or if possible....mount your monitor. I will gleem everything I need to fr..errr everything you need to know from your montior.
I am not a frequency biggot, I like'm fast, slow, flickering, fleckering, high pitched, low pitch...I don't give a damn...just let me have go.
Neck_of_the_Woods
#/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead
This is highly dependent on how you are using the system. Of course some people are just different, but if you are a highly skilled game player then these things show up. Many normal people just don't care because they are playing at a lower level and whatever blur that exists does not effect their (crappy) game play abilities.
Once you get into the really high skill levels then things like blurring are really annoying.
And I'm talking about fast games where blurring is actually an issue (FPS games, twitch games, and such). Playing Solitare doesn't count.
Can anyone shed some (flicker-free) light on this?"
Simple-- YOU are a robot, THEY are not.
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
Seeing as I can detect 60hz easily it must clearly be a sign of superior intellect
come on, you thought it
A blog I run for the wealth
Simple. Hershey tastes like vomit.
sustainable living
I have no problems with 60hz on my 20"... though on everything else I can simulate an LSD flashback just by crunching an ice cube.
Ice cubes should not be chewed. The coldness cracks tooth enamel.
If you really want to experience something amusing, bush your teeth with one of those powerful, pulsating electric toothbrushes while trying to read a CRT monitor.
Watch as the illusion of reality that your brain creates for you breaks down as it hits an edge-case of monitor refresh + head vibration that a few hundred thousand years of hunter-gathering never equipped you for.
Of course, once you start here, you might want to explore other mind hacks that are also available to you.
What are the odds of that happening?
Writers imply. Readers infer.