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VisionPerception

The Rotating Pink Dot

The challenge

Watch the animation and focus on the cross in the center. After a few seconds, what color is the dot that appears in place of the missing pink dot?

Objective

Observe the phi phenomenon and color aftereffects in motion perception.

Materials

Just your eyes and the animation.

Description

This animation combines two optical phenomena: the phi phenomenon (where a series of still images creates the perception of motion) and color aftereffects (where fatigued photoreceptors produce complementary color perception). Both demonstrate that visual experience is an active construction of the brain, not a passive recording of reality.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_aftereffect

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