The Jastrow illusion

Dec 6, 2020 3:03 PM

WorldOfEngineering

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The Jastrow Illusion

The Jastrow illusion is an optical illusion attributed to the Polish-American psychologist Joseph Jastrow. In the video, the two toy railway tracks are identical, although the lower one appears to be larger.
The oldest reference to this illusion can be found in The World of Wonders, an 1873 book about curiosities of nature, science and art.
There are several competing explanations of why the brain perceives the difference in size between the ring segments. The most commonly used explanation is that the brain is confused by the difference in size between the large and the small radius. The short side makes the long side appear longer, and the long side makes the short side appear even shorter.

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This used to make me furious as a kid

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Duh, it’s magic wood

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

5 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

5 years ago | Likes 50 Dislikes 2

The problem with spooning: an illustration

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Yeah it's cause you're not lining them up to be even. You're matching the long side of one with the short side of the other.

5 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Gosh thank you... Was looking for this comment

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

It's hard to be the big spoon with a girl that's around the same height as you.

5 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

He is TRAINING to be a witch!

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

It doesn’t really count with the camera angled like that. You’re adding foreshortening.

5 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 5

It's a conspiracy

5 years ago | Likes 40 Dislikes 0

it's.... fake news?

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Fake.... News?

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I didn't believe it, so I made a video of a copy & paste and damn if they aren't the same size!

5 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

i don't think it's the right way of checking

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

He should have switched the tracks!

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

This illusion has a good track record

5 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

The fact it's a video also. One closer to the camera appears larger, but because it's a video we don't have depth perception to catch it.

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

That's exactly what I was thinking. In 3D it wouldn't fool the eyes.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 4

This totally derailed my thinking.

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

The outside arch is longer the the inside....

5 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 1

And?

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

No, it's because the world is flat

5 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

And because magnets!

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Yeah but still... Pretty counterintuitive

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Right, but draw an imaginary line along the outermost point of the outside arches. You'll see the illusion even more strongly then.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

5 years ago | Likes 244 Dislikes 0

Literally me watching this magic.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I'm thinking about How I can use this to make my junk look bigger?

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

athletes need to see this NOW before the 2020 Olympi..before the 2021 Olympics... oh fuck it.... before the (whenever) Olympics.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

What is this called in the World of Wonders book? I don't see Jastrow Illusion in the Index... Lots of other neat stuff, though.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

And now I’ve got to walk back down stairs to kids playroom. Thanks

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Fake Views.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Look at where the edges start. Both arcs of the top track start to the left of where the lower track's arcs begin. (1)

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

As a result since the top track edges start more to the left it's easier to understand why they end further left (2)

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Thank you! Your explanation made it make sense.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

If I imagine 3 parallel lines on top of it, 1 on the left side and 2 on the right connecting respective corners, they look the same.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I buy a railroad to me nephhew and now i just want to open his gift !

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Does the lower camera angle contribute to this?

5 years ago | Likes 84 Dislikes 1

Yes to accentuate it and make it easily observable in a gif i guess

5 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 7

It's the angle of the track end. Line up outermost point instead.

5 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 4

People roll their eyes at you a lot, huh?

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 6

I wondered that too. I wasn't to see him use his hands and touch both sides of the tracks to see if that "fixes"the illusion.

5 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

The wide angle lens definitively exaggerates it

5 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 2

Barely. The illusion still holds from a top view as well and is just as impressive

5 years ago | Likes 97 Dislikes 1

I put the lower part of this image over the upper part. Can’t believe it worked.

5 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

5 years ago | Likes 24 Dislikes 0

Make sure to rotate so the backsides are flush

5 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

This helps and helps me understand it now, thank you

5 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

It's actually more obvious how the illusion works when seen from directly above.

5 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

It’s a track!

5 years ago | Likes 682 Dislikes 0

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

Brio-liant

5 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Thank you for making the internet great for me today.

5 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

5 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Needs moar conductor hat

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Easy to see for the train'd eye.

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The fat conductor will be cross!

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

He's not actually fat, just being spooned by another conductor. It's an optical illusion

5 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

v

5 years ago | Likes 37 Dislikes 0

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

What a lovely knitted sweater

5 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Your grandmother made me one.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

@iConfirmAnythingAndEverything probably:

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

You can do this with M4/M16 mags.

5 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Especially AK mags.

5 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Found the American

5 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 2

Only they still use fucking m16

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Canada uses a Canadian made version of the M16

5 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I choose to believe the canadian version is better than the american for the sake of americans sucking at making guns

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I have no idea. I don't know why Canada would be good at making guns lol. Its made by Colt Canada, thats all I know

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Diemaco is now Colt Canada. Diemaco was superior in every aspect, until Colt got their dirty hands on it. Cutting corners to maximize profit

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0