Richard Day's picture

    YOUR LYIN EYES

    Schematic diagram of the human eye en.svg

    I recently viewed some TEDTALKS (whatever, there are so many adjuncts it is hard to really tell) where the lecturer gave everyone in the audience a mirror.

    The particular Ted Talker just kept his lecture about the eyes.

    The lecturer gave his audience a mirror.

    And then he asked his audience whether or not they could look into the mirror and then move their eyes and perceive the movements?

    And yet no one could perceive a change in their mirror image.

    There was no perceivable change in the image.

    No time elapsed.

    No break in time was perceived.

    ha

    But, when the audience was asked to put down the mirror, and the audience was instructed to observe their neighbor's eyes, everyone could see the eyes of the other person moving.

    http://www.cogsci.nl/blog/miscellaneous/242-can-you-see-while-your-eyes-move

    I have to admit as soon as I viewed this Ted talk, I went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. (which is difficult if you are as old and ugly as me! ha)

    And sure enough, I saw no movement in my eyes whatsoever.

    There was no lapse in time. My eyes appeared to stare back at me.

    The explanation for this phenomena involves the very transaction between your eyes and your brain.

    THIS PRESENTATION REALLY GOT TO ME!

    We really cannot tell the truth from our own eyes.

    Just watch Penn & Teller:

     

     

    We, as humans have problems discerning the real from the unreal.

    You think you saw a UFO.

    Well, all that means is that you saw some phenomena that was not discernable.

    In other words, the object was unidentified. As far as you are concerned.

    Now consider the atom.

    Assuming that an electron is a particle orbiting a nucleus; how much space exists between the nucleus and the electron?

    Well here are some kids giving their opinions on this subject:

    I have witnessed many scientists explain that if one held a granule of sand in the middle of Yankee Stadium, and if one assumed that the stands represented the orbit of an electron, then the proper ratio of a nucleus to an electron would be just like the ratio of the stands to the grain of sand.

    Except others tell me that there is no such thing as one electron but only some kind of 'force'.

    Anyway, what we 'see' is not necessarily what is real.

     

    Here I found the most egregious take on the TED talks that actually made me more aware of the power of the speaker, than I had previously adduced.

     

     

    And yet.....

    There are people out there who believe that Noah's Ark really happened?

    There are folks out there who really believe in fairies?

    There are folks out there who believe that it would be best if all citizens could have automatic weapons and earth to air missiles.

    Do not forget that you, you as an individual, should not always believe your lyin eyes.

    the end

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Comments

    I like this - well done!  An excellent exploration (in your usual undefinable way) of why, almost scientifically, people see things the the way they wish.  Or the way they need to, I guess is more accurate.  The brain is a mysterious object that we have yet to even begin to fully understand, yet we're convinced as individuals that we have all the answers concerning our own.  So: I think, therefore I am.  An excellent way to make us consider if what we see really is what we get ... thanks!


    Missy, somebody bothered to read this and comment. ha

    UPLIFTING!

    Happy Independence Day to you and yours.

    Thank you!


    And I hope it was a happy one for you as well, my friend.

    Don't know that what Americans think of their country on the 4th really plays into your original blog (though you can probably handle that if you care to, since you're the god of making two and two make sense as five), but maybe it does if we think of it as another way our political eyes might be, sadly, waking up.

     


    You smoked it, Dick! Great piece. 


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