View Single Post
  #2  
Old April 3rd 12, 09:05 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Tom Gardner
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 141
Default Motion Induced Blindness

On Apr 3, 12:50*am, Mario wrote:
"keep our eyes moving and our head on a swivel"

Subject: *Motion Induced Blindness

When driving keep your eyes moving, checking mirrors, looking to the
left and right and this blinding affect is minimized.

(If you don't believe those yellow dots are not disappearing, have
someone stand by you and NOT stare at the green dot.)

Motion Induced Blindness

This is frightening! It works exactly like it says, and is one major
reason people in cars can look right at you (when you're on a
motorcycle or bicycle)---AND NOT SEE YOU. From a former Naval Aviator.
This is a great illustration of what we were taught about scanning
outside the cockpit when I went through training back in the '50s. We
were told to scan the horizon for a short distance, stop momentarily,
and repeat the process. I can remember being told why this was the
most effective technique to locate other aircraft. It was emphasized
(repeatedly) to NOT fix your gaze for more than a couple of seconds on
any single object. The instructors, some of whom were WWII veterans
with years of experience, instructed us to continually "keep our eyes
moving and our head on a swivel" because this was the best way to
survive, not only in combat, but from peacetime hazards (like a midair
collision) as well. We basically had to take the advice on faith
(until we could experience for ourselves) because the technology to
demonstrate it didn't exist at that time. * Click on the link below
for a demonstration ... *http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html


For many optical illusions, including that one, see
http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/index.html