Monday, May 7, 2012

Motion induced blindness ... Thanks Ramey!

This is a good test.

Motion Induced Blindness
In a motor accident, wherein a speeding car hits a slower moving
vehicle coming from the side, the speeding car drivers often swear
that they just didn’t see the vehicle coming from the left or right.
Well, they aren’t lying. They really don’t see the vehicle coming from
the side, in spite of broad daylight. This phenomenon on the car
drivers’ part is known as “Motion Induced Blindness”. It is
unbelievable but it is true, and it is definitely frightening.

Armed forces pilots are taught about motion induced blindness during
training, because it happens faster at high speeds; and to some extent
it is applicable to car drivers also, especially the fast ones. So, if
you drive a car, please read this carefully.

Once airborne, pilots are taught to alternate their gaze between
scanning the horizon and scanning their instrument panel, and never to
fix their gaze for more than a couple of seconds on any single object.
They are taught to continually keep their heads on a swivel and their
eyes always moving. Because, if you fix your gaze on one object long
enough while you yourself are in motion, your peripheral vision goes
blind. That’s why it is called motion induced blindness. For fighter
pilots, this is the only way to survive in air; not only during aerial
combat, but from peacetime hazards like mid-air collisions as well.

Till about three decades ago, this “heads on swivel & eyes moving”
technique was the only way to spot other aircraft in the skies around.
Now-a-days they have on-board radars, but the old technique still
holds good.

Let me give you a small demonstration of motion induced blindness.
This is the same demonstration that is used for trainee pilots in
classrooms before they even go near an aircraft. Just click on the
link below. You will see a revolving array of blue crosses on a black
background. There is a flashing green dot in the centre and three
fixed yellow dots around it. If you fix your gaze on the green dot for
more than a few seconds, the yellow dots will disappear at random . .
. , either singly, or in pairs, or all three together. In reality, the
yellow dots are always there. Just watch the yellow dots for some time
to ensure that they don’t go anywhere!

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