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I'd like to share something I found in
wisteria_'s lastest linkspam.
Some of you will have seen it already elsewhere but it's so fascinating and frustrating that it deserves another mention. Go here and look at the dancing lady. Which way is she turning for you?
The frustrating thing is that I know the theory of how this picture works. I also know myself. I am a right-brain person. I've seen her turn anti-clockwise twice. Once after I spotted a spelling mistake on the same page and the other time it just happened.
The boyfriend of course sees her turning anti-clockwise, but can will her to turn the other way, too.
On the other hand, there are also lots of pictures that work similarly. They're not animated gifs but depending on how your brain interprets the picture it's for example either an old hag or a pretty young woman. With these, the switching isn't as difficult for me. I'm not even sure it says something about a left- or right-brain preference. Then, I'm also left-handed, so my brain is different anyway.
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Some of you will have seen it already elsewhere but it's so fascinating and frustrating that it deserves another mention. Go here and look at the dancing lady. Which way is she turning for you?
The frustrating thing is that I know the theory of how this picture works. I also know myself. I am a right-brain person. I've seen her turn anti-clockwise twice. Once after I spotted a spelling mistake on the same page and the other time it just happened.
The boyfriend of course sees her turning anti-clockwise, but can will her to turn the other way, too.
On the other hand, there are also lots of pictures that work similarly. They're not animated gifs but depending on how your brain interprets the picture it's for example either an old hag or a pretty young woman. With these, the switching isn't as difficult for me. I'm not even sure it says something about a left- or right-brain preference. Then, I'm also left-handed, so my brain is different anyway.
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Date: 2007-10-14 08:44 pm (UTC)I saw her turning anti-clockwise first but then I made her turn clockwise and now it's only clockwise and I can't get her to switch back!
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Date: 2007-10-14 08:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 03:35 pm (UTC)I can't seem to make her switch direction. I think it's partly because I want it so much, thus getting all emotional about it...
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Date: 2007-10-14 09:19 pm (UTC)Now, I'm wondering whether I know the difference between clockwise and anti-clockwise...
Picturewise I have the most problems with making shapes come up or go down (you know with shadows), because in my world the sun always shines from up.
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Date: 2007-10-15 03:37 pm (UTC)Clockwise is the direction the hands in a clock go - that's basically left, right? (I'm crap with left and right and if it hadn't been for
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Date: 2007-10-15 06:41 pm (UTC)Clockwise is to the left -- when you're an outside observer, and to the right when you're standing in the middle of the circle. Hence the idea of going clockwise or counter-clockwise when playing games with someone in the middle of the circle (is what P. says -- can you guess he's been a boy scout?)
You say: "that's basically left, right?" and I read "that's basically from left to right" and thought, "but now she's mixing it up completely"... and then I noticed the (unintentional?) pun. *slaps forehead*
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Date: 2007-10-15 06:49 pm (UTC)Yeah, you can't explain clockwise properly without a clockface I think. I realized that I was confusing myself and that's why I made the pun. (And to hide the fact that I was confusing myself.)
ZROL would sound horrible - righty tighty, lefty loosey is much much better. (Though I'm slightly at a loss how to spell it.)
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Date: 2007-10-15 06:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 03:38 pm (UTC)The more frustrated you get, the more difficult it is...
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Date: 2007-10-15 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 03:45 pm (UTC)Well, then you'll be in a creative frame of mind - not sure that'll help. Unless you've been seeing her turn anti-clockwise up to now.
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Date: 2007-10-15 03:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 01:59 pm (UTC)For what it's worth, I've always thought myself to be very right brained in my personal life, yet when it comes to my work I'm extremely left brained. I like linear and logical thinking at work.
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Date: 2007-10-15 03:40 pm (UTC)It's not rigged! You can have two people looking at it at the same time and they see her going in different directions. It's all a matter of perspective and how you interpret the picture.
You are obviously good at both and can switch between modes.
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Date: 2007-10-15 02:04 pm (UTC)Is there a catagory for cock-brained?
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Date: 2007-10-15 03:43 pm (UTC)Yeah, her breasts look really perky. Which I find slightly distracting.
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Date: 2007-10-15 04:27 pm (UTC)But it's awfully fascinating, thanks for the link. I'm going to send this along.
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Date: 2007-10-15 04:37 pm (UTC)Yay! I can make her switch - with a little trick. By squinting at her and looking at her sort of sideways with my left eye closer to her I can make her turn anti-clockwise. Then after a while she switches again.