I Have Seen The Whole Of The Internet: December 2008

Sunday, 28 December 2008

Optical Illusions

Spinning wheels...

If you focus on the picture, all the wheels start to spin (in both directions). However, if you then concentrate on a single wheel, that wheel will stop whilst the others keep turning.

Look closely, the orange circles are the same size...

An illusion that plays on our perception of relative size. The first central circle appears smaller than the circle on the right yet they are identical in size. This is the Ebbinghaus Illusion.

First described by the British psychologist, James Fraser, in 1908 this is known as the Fraser Spiral Illusion. The overlapping black arcs appear to form a spiral; but, the arcs are simply a series of concentric circles.

An example of the Zollner Illusion. The long black lines are in fact parallel to each other. The illusion is created by the shorter lines being at an angle to the longer lines, this creates the impression that one end of the longer lines is nearer to us.

In this image, the two shapes are in fact identical in size. The Jastrow Illusion was discovered by Joseph Jastrow, the American psychologist, in 1889.

First discovered in 1860 by Johann Poggendorf, the Poggendorff Illusion, illustrates how the brain can be tricked by the interaction of diagonal and horizontal lines. At first viewing, one assumes that the blue line is a continuation of the black line. However, on closer viewing it is actually the red line.

Known as White's Illusion, is a counterintuitive illusion. When a grey rectangle is mainly surrounded by black it should look lighter. In this case, the grey rectangles are exactly the same shade of grey.

A Motion Illusion. The brain's reaction to the colour contrasts and position of the shapes is such that this static image appears to be moving.

More HERE

Tuesday, 16 December 2008

Viva Glasvegas!

Thanks to Mark from The Daily Mirror, I got to see the wonderful Scots who are Glasvegas on 15/12/08 in the Spring and Airbrake, Belfast. Support - White Lies. (Tickets bribed with promise of a review).

Picture the scene, it’s Christmas – you’re heating your leftover Supernoodles in a foil tray over a dying candle. All alone – your dog has just died. Your ma is in the nuthouse. Your da’s gone. You wander over to the cooker in the Father Ted-like kitchen and switch the gas on. Just as you’re being succumbed by the fumes, a Glasvegas track is played over the tranny…wait! You do have a reason to live, everything is kinda shite, but they will sing you all better. You remove your head from the oven, full of groggy new hope… you go to the window of your tenth floor flat, part the dingy curtains, open the window for a gasp of fresh air - then fall out of it.

*Whistley wind noise*

Flowers and football tops opens the evening. Stage lighting makes them appear like figures from a film. A damn good film. The lights were timed to be blinding and disorientating just at the right moments, as you get stunned by the music. All songs were very well received especially Geraldine, Go Square Go and Daddy’s gone. A steady steam of songs, James Allan was note perfect, a great live band. Setlist included It’s my own cheating heart that makes me cry, Lonesome swan, Polmont on my mind, Please come back home, Ice cream van, A snowflake fell (and it felt like a kiss)and Stabbed.

My only complaints are I never got to hear their version of “Everybody’s got to learn sometime.” One of the most endearing gigs I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness.