This One GIF Will Tell You Whether You Need Glasses Or Not
Take a look at this.
ninamalyna/123RF Do you see Marilyn Monroe or Albert Einstein?
People are eyeing this image to discern which iconic figure is in this GIF, designed by neuroscientist Dr. Aude Oliva and a team of neuroscience students in 2007.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) neuroscience team created the GIF along with a few other hybrid images that are used as vision and brain processes tests.
Here's how it works:
A blurry image of Marilyn Monroe is superimposed on a lightly drawn image of Albert Einstein.
First, sit a normal distance away from your computer screen. If you're as nearsighted as I am, you're going to need to take off your glasses or contact lenses.
Next, watch as the optical illusion GIF moves closer to you. If you see the wacky-haired theoretical physicist as it becomes enlarged on your screen, you have good eyesight.
If you see the iconic starlet from Hollywood's Golden Age right up until the image at its largest size, it's time to head to the eye doctor because you definitely need a pair of glasses.
If you have seriously poor eyesight like I do, you'll see a blurry blob of a woman's head coming towards you the entire time. You may need magic to fix your vision rather than just the glasses.
So, why do people see different things with this GIF?
You're able to see Einstein's features as he gets larger because the features have a high spatial frequency you can only see close up. On the other hand, you can see Marilyn's features when she's far away because they have a low spatial frequency that's only visible at a distance.
If you're nearsighted, your eyes and brain perceive images as still being far away. That's why, at a normal distance from the screen, you can still see Marilyn when the image is larger.
Most likely, you're smushing your face into the computer screen and saying, "Oh! Now, I see Albert Einstein!"
For those who don't need vision aids, pause the moving image, and you'll see that the farther away you move from the screen while still seeing Albert Einstein proves you have some healthy peepers.
The simplicity of this optical illusion can help any person at any age, because we all know that eyesight can worsen as you get older.
Now that you know your vision's health, it's time to stock up on some carrots and Acuvue Oasis contact lenses to keep those eyeballs healthy and seeing.