Comments on: Same color illusion http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/12/14/same-color-illusion/ The blog of John D. Cook Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:10:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Will Peterson http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/12/14/same-color-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-94442 Will Peterson Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:22:10 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3873#comment-94442 I find I can see it if I defocus my eyes. Interestingly, I use the same technique when looking at a scene I'm considering painting. When you know something is a 'happy little tree' you end up painting an icon of a tree, not the tree you're looking at. Of course, if that's the look and feel you're going for, it can be quite successful... think Grandma Moses...but the end result is more about your perception of the scene than the scene. I find I can see it if I defocus my eyes. Interestingly, I use the same technique when looking at a scene I’m considering painting. When you know something is a ‘happy little tree’ you end up painting an icon of a tree, not the tree you’re looking at. Of course, if that’s the look and feel you’re going for, it can be quite successful… think Grandma Moses…but the end result is more about your perception of the scene than the scene.

]]> By: Very disturbing optical illusion » Fun Math Blog http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/12/14/same-color-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-28906 Very disturbing optical illusion » Fun Math Blog Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:02:14 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3873#comment-28906 [...] hat tip to John Cook for blogging about this illusion. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Very disturbing optical illusion", url: [...] [...] hat tip to John Cook for blogging about this illusion. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Very disturbing optical illusion", url: [...]

]]> By: Jared Updike http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/12/14/same-color-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-28873 Jared Updike Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:57:29 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3873#comment-28873 Our brains see the realistic lighting and use it to infer the surface properties of the materials on the board; when asked if the squares are the same color, we answer no. If we were given the actual physical chessboard and threw away the cylinder, clearly the paint on the two squares would in fact be different colored paint. I've never seen anyone address the fact that the "trick" is really based on the loose semantics of the question "Are they the same color?" Our brains have adapted to deal with the real world around us and not gimmicks in photographs, so if that really were a physical chessboard, then those squares really would have to be painted with different colored paint. We are sort of being asked two different questions and getting penalized for answering the wrong question. Great illusion. Our brains see the realistic lighting and use it to infer the surface properties of the materials on the board; when asked if the squares are the same color, we answer no. If we were given the actual physical chessboard and threw away the cylinder, clearly the paint on the two squares would in fact be different colored paint.

I’ve never seen anyone address the fact that the “trick” is really based on the loose semantics of the question “Are they the same color?” Our brains have adapted to deal with the real world around us and not gimmicks in photographs, so if that really were a physical chessboard, then those squares really would have to be painted with different colored paint. We are sort of being asked two different questions and getting penalized for answering the wrong question. Great illusion.

]]> By: Paul http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/12/14/same-color-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-28862 Paul Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:34:06 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3873#comment-28862 Wow, that's amazing! Just goes to show a lot of what we see is inferred by the brain and "filled in". The retinal blind spot's a good example! Wow, that’s amazing! Just goes to show a lot of what we see is inferred by the brain and “filled in”. The retinal blind spot’s a good example!

]]> By: John http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/12/14/same-color-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-28852 John Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:07:47 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3873#comment-28852 Yep, they're the same. I had to open it up in an image editor and drag a little patch from one square over to the other to convince myself that the colors really are the same. Yep, they’re the same. I had to open it up in an image editor and drag a little patch from one square over to the other to convince myself that the colors really are the same.

]]> By: Daniel Lemire http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/12/14/same-color-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-28849 Daniel Lemire Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:18:11 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3873#comment-28849 Amazing. Amazing.

]]> By: Paul http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/12/14/same-color-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-28848 Paul Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:12:45 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3873#comment-28848 They look different to me, but I'm sure you're going to tell me I'm wrong ! They look different to me, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me I’m wrong !

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