A visual illusion in the microscope of science
What do you see looking at the two images above? Two ducks maybe? Or maybe two hares sitting side by side? A duck and a hare?
Look at the picture again and imagine a duck eating a hare. Do you see it now?
According to research conducted by neuroscientist Kyle Mathewson of the University of Alberta, about half of people can not see a duck and a hare at first glance. This only changes when they are asked to see the picture again, thinking of a duck eating a hare.
"Your brain somehow zooms out and can see the big picture when the sketches fit into a context," says Mathewson, a professor in the Department of Psychology.
Research shows that a small element - such as "the duck eats the hare" - can give our brain the context it needs to separate two identical images.
"Research also shows that we can control the way the brain interprets information in just a few words or a picture," Mathewson said. "We have to keep this in mind when, for example, we read a news story. We often interpret and understand information the way we want to see it. "