Originally published at: This "changing room illusion" made me realize how unobservant I am | Boing Boing
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I saw the pictures in the bookcase changing first, so I realized that something was up. It’s hard to keep track of everything that changes.
Also I’ve noticed that as I get older, I’m getting more dyslexic, which is definitely related to this trick. The existence of each thing is more notable than its position. Those dark ceiling tiles moving is a good example of this.
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i don’t think our brains are wired to see this because how often would a ceiling tile fade away like that. Now if it fell…i think we would all see that in an instant, because an object falling at your head is something that evolution has trained us to be able to watch out for.
wondering if they did this with a snake on the ground if we would be able to pick up it was moving.
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Right. Less Illusion than your eyes can only look squarely at one thing at a time. If you can manage half, you’re probably very observant. It’s hard to imagine anyone being able to catch them all.
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I actually noticed the tiles, and most of the stuff on the shelves. The cushions and stuff on the floor, totally missed it.
I would probably say I noticed the ceiling tiles because I was primed to look for something sneaky like that. (People always forget to look up, is my feeling)
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Its a bit of a mis-direction. The expectation is you are looking at a still photo for inappropriate objects. So they prompt you to scan the scene, not to watch a particular part to change.
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I noticed the change though i didn’t catch everything that changed on the left side of the screen since i was observing the right side. That said i did have a feeling stuff on the left had changed as well but not specifically what 
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Who else besides me read that headline, and figured this was something to do with the illusion that a given garment looks better in the changing room?
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Exactly, we see what we expect to see. Ask any motorcyclist.
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Like the gorilla vid.
I tricked myself - I noticed that the mac had blended into the scene and went “oh, that’s at a funny angle too”. After thinking at the start “there’s a monitor there with no pc” (because the yoga ball was under it).
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The xmas lights were obvious (to me). The throw pillows morphing was fun. The curtain was jarring in it’s transition. I’m sure there’s more.
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I realized how unobservant I am last month.
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Wait, this isn’t about the 25 or so liquor bottles all over the place?
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Fixed that for you.
“This “changing room illusion” made me realize how humans are oblivious to slow, minor, subtle changes over time”.
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That is a cool illusion. It is an illustration of how well magician’s misdirection works. Even knowing the image was going to change, and paying close attention, you can’t actually focus on EVERYTHING. I too started with the book shelf, and then at the realized one pillow was a different color, so I rewound and notice all the pillows and some of the other items in the same line as the couch changing. When looking at the images back and forth, it was clear ALL of it was changing, but I could only see a section of it at a time.
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No judgement from me!
That was the first thing I noticed…reflected in the window. That tipped me off to things changing in the room.
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Agreed. Moreso, I don’t think it even qualifies as an illusion. If someone asked me to watch 50 or so objects in a room for them, and they slowly and secretly swapped out several of the objects, would that be an illusion?
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I figured it out when the blue coat started fading on the couch, but until then I was sure it just the sheer nasty extent of “liminal space account” contradictions in the decor. Booze library. Yellowing ceiling tiles over a comfy couch. Creepy photos. But that stuff is absolutely normal for a science lab waiting room.
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Ooooh, will it still be the …er, Psychology Department? Gotta pay the postdocs somehow, doesn’t seem exploitative if they change bodies entirely nevermind trying on various disorders or however it works, the Changing. Sequel!
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Ack! The thing has a 1080p version. Nonetheless…
Wine Library is legit! That is Departmental Legese completely consistent with Control Groups, and the XL magnum paired with the monitor is regular curio.
Plush sectional…odd. Paintings in bookshelf framing. No. The glitch changes in them…also no. And 10 s. transition is up, but everything swapped in pops of a fifth or sixth shade but only the painting I was looking at to blame for certain. Wow, I should not bet on digital cups games or such.
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