Your response to this baffling optical illusion could depend on where you grew up
Last year we covered the 'coffer' illusion, a visual riddling that was blowing/bending/frying/breaking the internet's collective mind. And like all the best illusions, it seems this one keeps on giving, as new scientific research has revealed that your perception of it could be influenced by one unexpected factor.
For the uninitiated, the coffer illusion depicts what appears to be a series of rectangles – but actually contains 16 circles. They're initially hard to spot, but once you've managed it, they can't be unseen (spoiler alert: they're in the gaps between the rectangles). How quickly you find the circles, though, could depend on where in the world you grew up.
As reported by the Guardian, a study led by Ivan Kroupin at the London School of Economics has explored how people from different backgrounds interpret the coffer illusion, found that "people in the UK and US saw it mainly in one way, as comprising rectangles – while people from rural communities in Namibia typically saw it another way: as containing circles."
So why the difference? The suggestion is that those hailing from western industrialised countries "are generally exposed to highly 'carpentered' environments, with lots of straight lines, right angles," whereas rural Namibians, for example, see the circles first because "their environments being dominated by structures such as round huts instead of angular environments."
"During the data collection, it was quite striking to see individuals immediately identify and describe features of an image - circles - which took all authors a significant amount of time to identify at all," the study explains, before going on to suggest different responses to the illusion could hint at larger visual discrepancies between people. "In sum, the world does not look the same to all of us—the present results show this at the very least. And it remains a possibility that such cultural variation exists even at layers of visual perception previously assumed to be universal."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
After 3 years with a C grade, Polk County school district improves to a B
After three straight years with a C grade, Polk County Public Schools improved its grade from to a B in the 2024-25 academic year, according to a report released July 7 by the Florida Department of Education. In the 2023-24 school year, the district fell one percentage point shy of a B grade. This year, it was one percentage point above the baseline needed for a B, scoring 58% of the total possible points. 'This is an outstanding accomplishment for our schools,' Superintendent Fred Heid said in prepared statement. 'We've been making steady progress every year, thanks to the unwavering dedication of our students, teachers and staff. This is why we always tell our kids that hard work pays off.' School grades incorporate up to 12 components, with five based on achievement in English/language arts, math, science and social studies. The state also measures overall learning gains, gains of the lowest 25% of students, middle school acceleration, graduation rate and college and career acceleration, the report said. Each component counts for up to 100 points in the overall calculation. The points are added, and then the total is divided by the maximum number of possible points to determine the percentage earned. Among Polk Public Schools, 14 improved their grades from the previous year. Two improved from an A to a B: Jewett School of the Arts and Winston Academy of Engineering. Five improved from a D to a C: Crystal Lake Elementary, Stambaugh Middle School, McLaughlin Academy of Excellence and Auburndale and Kathleen high schools. In February, the district received a one-year extension from the state to bring Crystal Lake Elementary's grade up to a C and avoid closure. Prior to this year's grade, the school was rated D for four years running. When a school receives either an F score or two consecutive Ds, the district must create a plan for improvement. A school that improves to a C is not required to continue with the turnaround plan but is monitored for three years, according to the Department of Education. See how your school did: View complete scores for all Polk County schools The state report listed charter schools, as well, which aren't run by the public school district. Among those, three improved their grades this year: Cypress Junction Montessori, from a C to a B; Hartridge Academy, from a B to an A; and Navigator Academy of Leadership, from a C to a B. Nineteen Polk public schools saw their grades fall in 2024-25. Three of those fell from a C grade in 2023-24 to a D grade now: Dixieland Elementary, Eagle Lake Elementary and Kathleen Middle School. Three schools fell more than one letter grade, from an A to a C: Chain of Lakes Elementary, Oscar J. Pope Elementary and Scott Lake Elementary. Among the charter schools in the report, Edward W. Bok Academy North fell from a B to a C. For the third consecutive year, no schools run by the Polk district received an F grade, and the district continued to lower the number of schools rated D. Five schools received D grades this year, compared with seven in 2023-24 and 12 in in 2022-23. Polk County public school students improved in 24 of 36 categories on the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking tests in 2024-25, according to results released by the FDOE in late June. The tests cover nine academic subjects and levels: English language arts, algebra 1, algebra 2, civics, U.S. history, biology, mathematics, geometry and science. A higher percentage of students passed in seven of eight grade-level categories for English language arts, the state report showed. In math, Polk students showed gains in three of four categories and in three of six grade levels for algebra 1. Polk County recorded higher passing rates in all four grades for U.S. history and one of two grades for civics. One of two grade levels improved for science, while Polk County had higher passing rates in four of five grades for biology 1. 'We're very pleased with this year's results, but we're not yet satisfied. We'll use this momentum to keep improving,' Heid said. 'With that said, our community deserves to celebrate. So many people have played a role in this great achievement: students, teachers, staff, parents, guardians and volunteers. I'm incredibly grateful for their commitment, and so very proud to be part of Polk County Public Schools.' Information from previous reporting by The Ledger's Gary White was used in this report. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk County Public Schools improves overall grade to a B
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
After Texas floods that killed campers, here's what to consider when sending your kids to camp
Death and destruction at a venerable Texas summer camp might have parents wondering about the risks of sending their kids away to any camp, even if it's in a much different setting and less vulnerable to a natural disaster. The stunning flood that killed more than two dozen campers and counselors along a river at Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country was the result of extraordinary rain and walls of water. Nonetheless, experts agree that information about how a camp plans for emergencies is just as important as the lunch menu and the times to go swimming. Many summer camps, of course, are based around woods and water. Kids often stay in rustic cabins with bunk beds and no electricity, all part of the charm of being away from home, maybe for the first time. The American Camp Association, which accredits camps and has thousands of members, said parents may want to ask how a camp stays in touch with local emergency service teams. Two people with longtime connections to camps also offered suggestions about what families should be thinking about. What should parents ask about camp safety? In Michigan, Jim Austin, 69, has been around summer camps for decades, as a camper, staff member and grandparent seeing his grandchildren off again to Camp Hayo-Went-Ha on Torch Lake, founded in 1904. He said parents should ask how a camp handles any emergency, even an active shooter. 'Do they have a buddy check in the swimming area? Do they have a procedure when somebody is missing? Do they have things in place for severe weather?" Austin said. 'If you're in Florida, you're looking at hurricanes. Anywhere in the Midwest, you're looking at a tornado, even thunderstorms. 'If they have to make it up,' he added, 'that's a big red flag.' Mike Deen, who operates Camp Ao-Wa-Kiya in Michigan's Oceana County, faced a crisis a year ago when part of a tree fell and destroyed a cabin with more than a dozen people, mostly girls, in the middle of the night. An adult was trapped in her bed for 90 minutes. Any injuries were minor. 'Our policies worked. Personnel were on hand very, very quickly,' Deen said. 'Parents should ask a camp: What's your relationship with local emergency services? How long does it take to get here? Parents should be able to go into camps and ask wise questions but also trust the camps are doing a good job.' Austin hopes the rare event in Texas doesn't discourage families from sending kids to a camp. 'Your kid is going to come back with more independence, with more responsibilities, with the ability to make conversations as opposed to texting with their thumbs all the time,' he said. 'They're going to make lifelong friends and develop bonds.' Camps reach out to soothe any anxiety The headlines in Texas led some camps to reach out to their camper families even if the camps were nowhere near danger. Henry DeHart, interim president of the American Camp Association, said it's a good idea, noting that "tragedies anywhere can be felt everywhere." Adirondack Camp in New York expressed sorrow about the Fourth of July tragedy at Camp Mystic and emphasized that safety at its camp along Lake George is 'our top priority.' 'Our camp is not located in a flood zone. ... We receive real-time alerts for storms, high winds, or other threats,' Rikki Galusha, vice president of camp operations, said in an email. Camp Balcones Springs in Texas is more than 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) away from Camp Mystic and located on a hill to avoid flood risk. Staff sent at least five emails to families over the weekend to say campers were safe. It would be impossible under current conditions for the closest body of water, Lake Travis, to affect the camp, staff said. The camp director's cellphone number was shared because of problems with phone lines. 'We kindly ask that you refrain from mentioning the recent tragedies or weather-related challenges to your children. Our goal is to maintain a positive, safe and uplifting environment for everyone,' the camp told families. Jim Sibthorp, a professor at the University of Utah who has studied the life-changing impact of camps on children, said parents can't foresee every catastrophe. 'Getting kids immersed in nature has many benefits, and nature is unpredictable. ... However, when the unpredictability ends in tragedy, it is difficult to swallow,' he said. ____ Associated Press writer Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this story.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
One injured in jet ski fire on Columbia River
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A jet ski on fire along the Columbia River left one person hospitalized and prompted response from multiple emergency crews early Saturday evening. Just before 5:30 p.m., crews with Portland Fire & Rescue, Gresham Fire and others responded on reports of a boat fire, as well as two people and a dog in the water near Flagg Island, according to Portland Fire & Rescue officials. Portland July 4 fireworks site records 4000 reports Arriving at the scene, officials said they found it was actually a jet ski on fire and it had sustained significant damage. Rescue crews also found one person was injured in the incident who was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
