The basic elements of deception - timing and misdirection - are illustrated beautifully in Daniel Simons' video, which demonstrates one of the most famous psychology experiments of all time.
Magic depends on this, of course, for entertainment purposes. It gives us a good clue as to how Houdini vanished an elephant. But deception is bigger than just magic. It can be intentional, when it's known as politics. Or it can be inattentional, possibly even more disastrous.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School recently asked experienced radiologists to examine CT scans of human lungs. They were told to look for the bright white cancer nodules. Here's one of the scans. Can you spot the cancerous nodule?
The radiologists found the nodule in the lower left corner. But nearly all of them missed the gorilla in the upper right! Did you spot it? The researchers commented that it would be about the size of a matchbook in your lung, 45 times larger than a cancer node.
Intentional deception can entertain, rob or conquer. Inattentional blindness can kill.
[Via Nautilus.com & bwh.harvard.edu]
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