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Strong Emotions May Cause Temporary Blindness

Iphtashu Fitz writes "Ever been watching tv when a violent image comes on the screen and you don't even notice that somebody just entered the room? You've just encountered something known as emotion-induced blindness. Psychologists at Vanderbilt and Yale Universities have determined that people can suffer short periods of blindness, up to 1/2 a second in length, immediately after seeing highly emotional images. By displaying a series of images for 1/10 of a second each they were able to determine that test subjects couldn't identify images shown immediately after very erotic or gory images. You can try this out for yourself at the flash-based test site they have set up which also contains more details of the experiments."

21 of 367 comments (clear)

  1. goaste.cx? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    is that why im blind?

    1. Re:goaste.cx? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      "goaste.cx? is that why im blind?"

      You might get hairy palms, but, no you won't go blind.

      But man you'll wish you were...

    2. Re:goaste.cx? by BottleCup · · Score: 5, Funny

      Isn't it goatse.cx anyway? yes, he misspelled it because he was temporarily blind.

  2. Rage? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Blind with rage'

  3. On Slashdot? by maxmg · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now that's a very good idea to put a reference to erotic images and a link to a flash-based site on the main page of slashporn^H^H^H^Hdot.

    --
    I asked for a refund - and got my monkey back.
    1. Re:On Slashdot? by screwballicus · · Score: 4, Funny

      But an astute observation, consequently. Erotic images of Slashdotters might indeed be expected to cause not only temporary but indeed much more permanent forms of blindness amongst afflicted test subjects.

  4. Proof at long last! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wanking DOES cause blindness.

  5. VBScript by hattan · · Score: 5, Funny

    It all makes sense now. I was wondering why I could never find the mouse after reading VB code.

  6. This Just In by Icyfire0573 · · Score: 1, Funny

    This just in... Pr0n does make you blind... Temporarily at least

  7. if I had known by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    So that's why you can turn blind if you masturbate?
    WHY DIDNT ANYONE TOLD ME BEFORE!

  8. So it's true... by JonLatane · · Score: 2, Funny

    Porn does make you blind! Hell, look at the name of the effect: "attentional rubbernecking."

  9. Re:Situational awareness by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Funny

    How many times have you missed the doorbell, telephone or significant other

          I never miss my significant other. I frag her all the time, DIE BIATCH lol lol 5h3 iz 5o l4/v\3 lol pWn3d a64iN!!!!

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    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  10. Like I'm gonna click that link by PCM2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Until I hear otherwise, I'm going to assume that this is the most elaborate Goatse troll ever.

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    Breakfast served all day!
  11. For the best results... by edrams · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...they should have used Goatse.

  12. I saw... by Blitzenn · · Score: 4, Funny

    I saw my mom having sex once, I never saw the same after that. Is that the same thing?

    1. Re:I saw... by Jubalicious · · Score: 2, Funny

      Me too... and now this research gives me justification to seek punitive damages against your mom

  13. Re:Situational awareness by Mancow · · Score: 4, Funny

    Reminds me of the episode of King Of The Hill where Hank went blind at Christmas after seeing his mom having sex...

  14. Also known as... by hummassa · · Score: 3, Funny

    Paying attention to something :-)

    --
    It's better to be the foot on the boot than the face on the pavement. ~~ tkx Kadin2048
  15. That's why people don't RTFA by Vombatus · · Score: 2, Funny

    They are so outraged by the editor's comments, that they fail to notice the links to the fine article.

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    This sig is intentionally blank
  16. Re:Situational awareness by TooncesTheCat · · Score: 3, Funny

    For all you gamers out there, this is sort of an intuitive concept, right? How many times have you missed the doorbell, telephone or significant other trying to get ahold of you in the middle of a Doom/Marathon/Unreal fragfest? You increase the number of participants (and thus tasks to attend to) and you decrease your situational awareness of your immediate surroundings.

    Those fucker doctors that my mom took me too when I was 13 were liars. They called what you speak of ADD. Put me on Ritalin for nothing. Those money hungry insensitive clods.

    Excuse me while I chase a bug.

  17. Re:"seeing red" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Overhead announcement from clerk "Price check on trojan extra small condoms"