My
brain is fascinated by illusions. Even when it knows that it is somehow being
tricked, it’s still interesting. Take Ponzo illusions, for example. This
phenomenon was reportedly first demonstrated by Mario Ponzo, an Italian
psychologist, early in the last century. It was his opinion that the human mind judges the size of an object
based on its background. He demonstrated this by drawing two identical lines
across a pair of converging lines. The explanation typically given is that the
upper line looks longer because the mind interprets the converging sides
according to linear perspective. In this context, it interprets the upper line
as though it were farther away. Naturally, most people perceive the upper line
as longer because a farther object would have to be longer than the nearer
object in order for both to produce retinal images of the same size. Intellectually
I know that the two parallel lines are the same length. Because they are
pictured against vertical receding lines, however, at first glance the two
parallel lines often appear to be of differing lengths. If you haven’t looked
at examples of Ponzo illusions for a while, check out this website and pay
attention to what your brain perceives.
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