Silencing is a visual phenomenon where objects that change in luminance, hue, size, or shape appear to stop changing when they move. They “freeze” in place.
This illusion can be created through various means, such as flashing lights, or rapidly moving a stimulus back and forth.
Table of Contents
- How does Silencing work?
- Versions of Silencing
- Illusions like Silencing
- Discovery of Silencing
- References and Resources
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How does Silencing work?
The Silencing Illusion works by exploiting the way our visual system processes motion.
Our visual system is sensitive to the rate at which an object changes position, and it tends to perceive objects as “stopped” or “frozen” when the rate of change in their position slows down or it can only handle so many sensory inputs at once, quieting or silencing some while others dominate.
Versions of Silencing
The following is a video that demonstrates Silencing:
Illusions like Silencing
The following are some illusions that are related to Silencing
Troxler’s fading, is a phenomenon in which a stationary visual stimulus eventually disappears from perception, even though it is still present in the visual field.
This occurs because the human visual system adapts to constant stimuli and eventually stops responding to them.
The Phi phenomenon is the illusion of movement created by the rapid succession of static images or light sources.
It is the perceptual phenomenon that explains how the human brain perceives motion when presented with a sequence of still images or light sources that are displayed in rapid succession.
The Rotating Snakes is a peripheral drift illusion that consists of a grid of shapes, with some of them appearing to be rotating or undulating. The illusion is created by the interaction of the shapes with the neural processing of the visual system.
The Moiré pattern illusion: This illusion is created by superimposing two similar patterns on top of each other, such as a grid of lines or circles. The resulting pattern appears to be moving or changing.
The Scintillating Grid Illusion, in which a grid of black and white squares appears to pulsate or “breathe” when viewed from the periphery of the image.
The Hermann Grid Illusion, in which the intersections of a white grid on a black background appear to be gray, even though they are actually the same color as the background.
The Zöllner Illusion, in which parallel lines appear to be tilted or bent when intersected by diagonal lines.
The Fraser Spiral Illusion, in which a pattern of short, curved lines appears to form a spiral.
The Hering Illusion, in which two straight lines appear to be curved due to the presence of surrounding lines.
The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.
These illusions are usually caused by the way our eyes process visual information and the way the brain interprets it. They can also be caused by the interaction of different visual elements, such as lines and angles, in the image. They are often used in research on visual perception and the neural basis of perception.
Discovery of Silencing
t was discovered by Jordan Suchow and George Alvarez.
Jordan Suchow is an Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College. He is a researcher in the field of vision science and his research focuses on the perception of motion and the neural mechanisms underlying visual processing.
Dr. Suchow’s work has contributed to our understanding of how the brain processes visual information and how different aspects of visual processing, such as attention and prediction, influence the perception of motion. He has published several research papers in prestigious journals, and he has received numerous awards and grants for his work.
Overall, Dr. Jordan Suchow is a well-respected researcher in the field of vision science, and his work has helped to advance our understanding of how we perceive the world around us.
George A. Alvarez is an Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Harvard University. He is a researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience and his research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception and attention.
Dr. Alvarez’s work has made important contributions to our understanding of how the brain processes visual information, including the role of attention in shaping our perceptions of the world. He has published numerous research papers in prestigious journals and has received numerous awards and grants for his work.
Overall, Dr. George A. Alvarez is a well-respected researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience, and his work has helped to advance our understanding of how the brain processes visual information and shapes our perceptions of the world.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.
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