Thursday, April 23, 2009

CAN THIS BE REAL?

HANK: I'm just not sure I believe this. I saw this--somewhere, who knows. And when I watch it, I definitely see it just one way. I asked my producer Mary to look at it, and she absolutely saw it the other way. I mean, we were looking at the same thing at the same time!

And then at one point, I saw it change. And then go back to the way it was initially.

What do you see? Is this some kind of a trick that has duped me? Here's what the article said.


The Right Brain vs Left Brain test ... do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

25 comments:

  1. And if you have trouble seeing it--don't click. Just move the red dot farther to the right.

    So? Which way do you see her turning?

    And is it real?

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  2. Am I the only one that thinks this right-brain/left-brain psychological traits stuff smacks of astrology? And I love the word anti-clockwise (which is the way I see her turning). Is that British usage? We'd have said counter-clockwise.

    Or have I just woken up left-brained and grumpy.

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  3. Wow. It took me about five minutes before I could see her go counter-clockwise.

    I think I'm going to see my neurologist now!

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  4. My brain hurts and I think I need to up my meds.

    No idea how real it is, but she started clockwise the first time I watched it; took a couple of minutes to switch to counter-clockwise. (Anti-? pfftt)

    Watched it again, it was the opposite and took only seconds to switch.

    Not sure I'm ready for Dr. Roberta's opinion...!

    Paula Matter

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  5. There's no way she's going counter-clockwise. how long am I supposed to look at this before I see that?

    (I always thought this whole left brain/right brain thing was to make people feel good about whichever one they were..)

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  6. I'm totally in the clockwise camp, too. I'm sure it's all real, but am not sure how much weight I'm going to attach to my reputed right-brainedness.

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  7. Maybe I see her going counter-clockwise because I'm lefthanded.
    Did you know that 6 of the 12 US presidents were left-handed: Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, the elder Bush, Clinton and Obama. So were McCain and Ross Perot.

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  8. Yes, I found this in an Australian paper, so that's why "anti."

    But there's no way she's going counter-clockwise! Once, for a split second, as I said, I saw it that way. Then it went back to clock-wise.

    But, Hallie, I'm left-handed too.

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  9. Totally clockwise. I didn't see counter-clockwise until the video switched it. And even then, I got dizzy trying to make it work counter. I guess I'm hosed...and I'm right-handed and right-eye dominant. Go figure?

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  10. Well, Silver, they allege the video doesn't switch. It's your brain that's switching.

    Usually, it doesn't switch at all for me.

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  11. I think most guys are looking at that and saying, "wow, hot chick who may or may not be naked, spinning. Now, what am I supposed to be thinking about, again?" But I could be wrong.

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  12. Okay, I'm a right brain person, which I think I knew. I couldn't make her go anti-clockwise if I tried.

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  13. Hank, I'm afraid to try this.

    If seeing her go clockwise means I use the right side of my brain, and seeing her go anti-clockwise means I use the left side of my brain, if I don't see her move at all, I'm gonna validate what my wife complains about me all the time...

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  14. If I had that body, and that sense of balance, I'd likely go spinning naked through the Internet, too.

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  15. You guys are too funny..no wonder I had such a good time last weekend.

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  16. I'm of the opinion that the changes are preset in the video and have nothing to do with who is looking at it. It *is* a video. How could we see it any way other than the way it's programmed to appear?

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  17. OK. The good news is, I definitely see her twirling, so my wife's complaint is invalid.

    Sandra, I have to disagree with you. I don't see it as "preset" changes. Because the figure is completely silhouetted, it seems the only frame of reference is imposed by your mind. When the figure's leg is moving from the right of the screen, is it in front of her body or behind her body?

    If it's in front, she'd be moving clockwise. If in back, she'd be moving anti-clockwise. Because of the silhoutte, you can't tell--there's no depth to the image.

    It took me a long time, but I was able to make the adjustment in my mind, and it can see it both ways!

    FWIW, initially, and primarily, I see her going clockwise. Right-brained, which corresponds to being left-handed, which I am.

    Thanks for this, Hank...

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  18. I saw her move both ways within seconds. I'm lefthanded, but only for eating, writing and crocheting. Everything else I do right-handed.

    I've noticed that a lot of writers are lefthanded.

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  19. I'm left-handed and she was decidedly going clockwise for me. And I couldn't get her to switch, no matter how I tried.
    I don't have 20/20 vision. I don't suppose that makes a difference?

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  20. I first saw her going counter-clockwise, but switched after about a minute, and couldn't get it to go counterclockwise again for the rest of the video. When I played it again, I learned pretty quickly to switch it at will. I'm right-handed. But I'm with Ms. Ephron--left brain vs right brain is fun to think about, but it can be taken too far

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  21. I can only see her going clockwise. In fact, Until I saw these comments, I kind of didn't believe you could see her counterclockwise. Wow.

    Hallie, I did a story about right brain vs. left brain a long, long time ago when I was a business writer. I buy in, but I think today maybe its getting a little overplayed.

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  22. I've been thinking more about this and don't y'all think it's too black and white?

    I mean, maybe I use *more* of my right brain, but there are certainly left-brain functions as well. Doesn't it truly depend on the situation?

    Paula Matter

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  23. Markoff - the consummate Young College Republican claims he can’t afford a lawyer.

    Apparently he doesn’t goose step to the party’s “personal responsibility and accountability” mantra and is one of the losers the GOP yelled at for “not budgeting and living within their means”. Doctor Daddy and all…had enough other people’s money to gamble and cavort with hookers but none to be found for personal responsibility of legal fees?

    Markoff is a equal opportunity Young College Republican …we have to give him that

    he used the email address sexaddict5385 to send explicit pictures and emails of himself to men he found on craigslist ads labeled M4T, meaning “men looking for transvestites.”

    So much Kafka, so little time.

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  25. Wow--what a cool idea!

    As soon as you said to picture which way the dancer was turning--before I even saw that you'd included a video--I immediately pictured a dancer turning clockwise.

    What a fascinating subject!

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