Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/12/01/are-these-circles-moving.html
…
6 Likes
Wow.
The power of arrows, a man-made icon abstractly representing movement, “causing” movement visually? Wow.
When it switched to the expanding and contracting arrows I was flabbergasted.
13 Likes
At first I thought - why would these symbols influence how I think the circle is moving or growing and contacting? - the symbols themselves are just made-up things. But, when you cover up the middle symbols, the circles still exhibit the same behavior (and you can also cover up one circle so just the other one is seen).
I’m pretty sure the illusion has to do with what the thin outer and inner edges are doing.
13 Likes
The inner parts of the circles aren’t changing at all. However, there is a very thin outer line that does vary what it’s doing. You can tell there’s something tricky, because even if you cover up the arrows, the circles still seem to move in the direction the hidden arrows are pointing.
12 Likes
I agree. It isn’t the mere power of suggestion by the arrows but the animation of the colors making our brains infer motion that isn’t there.
2 Likes
I suspect the illusion is created by varying the size of blue and yellow segments.
1 Like
Stupid brain. Now I feel cheated
3 Likes
No.
1 Like
I think it has more to do with the arrows rotating in the same direction as the circles. It’s wouldn’t work if they rotated opposite.
Wow! This is the coolest use of reverse phi illusory motion I’ve ever seen (I think its a reverse phi effect, not positive).
Each of the different directions change the thin edges of color.
2 Likes
Without pulling it apart yet, I suspect you’re right. Whatever they’re doing, it’s very resilient. I can cover significant portions of the animation, sometimes including the arrows, and still see most of the motion. I covered everything except the right most part of the right hand circle, for example, and still got almost every effect.
Edit: @Scientist is one step ahead. Interesting what an effect such a thin edge can make!
3 Likes
Nothing is moving at all, those are just colored “pixels”** changing color on your screen.
** pixel stands for Primary Indicated Xerox Elemental Light, from the famous Xerox Parc***
***short for Xerox Parking Lot, where a lot of the real innovation took place at that company.
1 Like
I also feel tricked (because I have been), but I’m glad I at least read the comments before I spent time trying to play with this for myself. I didn’t think the arrows as such could be influencing the illusion, but I thought it might have to do with the distribution of ink inside the circles (like, perhaps the ring appears to be moving towards whichever side(s) have larger dark blobs).
1 Like
Apparently, for quite a long time, IBM had a corporate policy of rejecting the abbreviation “pixels” and insisted on “pictels” in its own documentation
(“pictel” of course stands for Proprietary IBM Computerised ThomasJWatson Electronic Light)
1 Like
your fake acronym is so much better than mine. jealous.
2 Likes
The circles are moving, yes. If you cover the centres you will still see the motion, so it has nothing to do with the arrows.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
