Visual Illusions: Their Causes, Characteristics and ApplicationsLuckiesh, Matthew
Science
Visual Illusions: Their Causes, Characteristics and Applications
Luckiesh, Matthew
Optical illusions
In Fig. 74 the upper object is a disk and the lower is a sphere. In _a_
Fig. 74 the lighting is due to a source of light of rather small
physical dimensions directly above the objects. The same objects
illuminated by means of highly diffused light (that is, light from many
directions and of uniform intensity) appear as in _b_. Both objects now
appear as disks. It is obvious that under appropriate lighting a disk
might be taken for a sphere and vice versa, depending upon which dominates
the judgment or upon the formulation of the attendant assumptions.
Incidentally an appearance quite similar to that of _a_, Fig. 74 is
obtained when the light-source is near the observer; that is, when it lies
near the line of sight.
[Illustration: Fig. 75.--A concave hemispherical cup on the left and a
convex hemisphere on the right lighted by a light-source of large angle
such as a window.]
Somewhat similar to the confusion of intaglio with bas-relief is the
confusion of the two hemispherical objects illustrated in Fig. 75. The one
on the left is concave toward the observer. In other words, both could be
hemispherical shells--one a mold for the other. Under the lighting which
existed when the original photographs were made they could both be taken
for hemispheres. The lighting was due to a large light-source at the left,
but if the object on the left is assumed (incorrectly) to be a hemisphere
convex toward the observer or a sphere, it must be considered to be
lighted from the right, which is also an incorrect assumption. Obviously,
if the direction of the dominant light is clear to the observer, he is not
likely to make the error in judgment. Incidentally the object on the right
might be assumed to be a sphere because a sphere is more commonly
encountered than a hemisphere.
[Illustration: Fig. 76.--The same as Fig. 75, but lighted by a very small
light-source.]
The same objects are represented in Fig. 76 lighted from the left by means
of a light-source of relatively small dimensions; that is, a source
subtending a relatively small solid-angle at the objects. In this case the
sharp shadow due to the edge of the hemispherical cup (on the left) is
likely to cause the observer to inquire further before submitting his
judgment. The more gradual modulation of light and shade as in the case of
a sphere or a hemisphere convex toward the observer is not present in the
case of the cup. This should be sufficient information for the careful
observer to guide him, or at least to prevent him from arriving at the
definite conclusion that the left-hand object is a hemisphere with its
convex side toward him. Furthermore it should be noted that we often jump
at the conclusion that an object is a sphere even though we see with one
eye practically only a hemisphere and with two eyes hardly enough more to
justify such a conclusion. However, spheres are more commonly encountered
than hemispheres, so we take a chance without really admitting or even
recognizing that we do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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