A popular optical illusion has left people confused and wondering what it means to their brains.
The spinning ballerina, also known as the silhouette illusion, is an animated optical illusion.
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The Spinning Dancer, also known as the Silhouette Illusion, is an animated optical illusionCredit: YouTube
It was originally released in 2003 as a GIF animation of a pirouetting dancer.
Created by Japanese web designer Nobuyuki Kayahara, the optical illusion works by using movement to stimulate the brain.
Some observers see the figure spinning clockwise, while others see it moving counterclockwise.
And some people can see the figure turn in one direction and then suddenly go in the opposite direction.
What does this mean for my brain?
For years, articles have referred to optical illusion as a test to see if you are “right brained” or “left brained.”
Basically, if you see a dancer spinning clockwise, people say you’re using your right brain more.
And if you see it moving counter-clockwise, you’re more of a left-brained person.
However, that theory has been debunked by experts, or as scientist Arthur Shapiro told VICE, “It’s just gibberish.”
Instead, the illusion is a reversible two-dimensional image that can tell us more about how vision works.
How does this illusion work?
Reversible or ambiguous optical illusions work because they lack depth cues: they confuse your brain.
And when your brain is confused, it goes through a process called “unconscious reasoning.”
This process helps your brain find meaning, or conclusions, without sufficient evidence. In other words, it’s a guess.
As a result, your brain can sometimes perceive a ballerina standing on her left leg and turning to the right.
And sometimes you can perceive a woman as standing on her right leg and turning to the left.
Most people, if they look at the image closely enough, will see that it rotates both ways.
“The silhouettes are extremely ambiguous,” Shapiro said.
“If you added information to a spinning girl, like a pair of colorful Lululemon pants, your brain would solve the illusion faster.”
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education