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Scientists Find Believing Can Be Seeing

Posted by samzenpus on from the the-mind-is-quicker-than-the-eye dept.

Ponca City, We Love You writes "Scientists at University College London have found the link between what we expect to see, and what our brain tells us we actually saw revealing that the context surrounding what we see is all important — sometimes overriding the evidence gathered by our eyes and even causing us to imagine things which aren't really there. A vague background context is more influential and helps us to fill in more blanks than a bright, well-defined context. This may explain why we are prone to 'see' imaginary shapes in the shadows when the light is poor. "Illusionists have been alive to this phenomenon for years," said Professor Zhaoping. "When you see them throw a ball into the air, followed by a second ball, and then a third ball which 'magically' disappears, you wonder how they did it. In truth, there's often no third ball — it's just our brain being deceived by the context, telling us that we really did see three balls launched into the air, one after the other." The original research paper is available on PLOS, the open-access, peer-reviewed journal."

4 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Please link to the source! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I wish editors would check if the linked article is the actual source rather than ad infested blog.

  2. e45! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    tteth into 3hen

  3. ryou insensitive clod! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    numbers continue perce8t of 7he *BSD

  4. Why does every /. summary suck donkeys? by 7-Vodka · · Score: -1, Troll

    Ok, you're linking us a paper about an experiment. Great. Here comes the line that I see on every /. submission about an experiment or study:

    "This may explain why..."

    Why? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY do you do this? The experiment either explained something or it fucking didn't. SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. Already. I don't need some DICKHEAD to tell me third hand what's going to be explained OR NOT in the future. You're wrong anyway STFU.

    The other line I love:

    "This is important because..."

    STFU already! WHY on this insect infested rat shit of a planet would I want some dickhead who is parroting a story on /. (because all /. submissions are a class act) to tell me WHY something is important? GFU AND STFU there should be a filter to get rid of any story that comes with those lines.

    --

    Liberty.