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Construction Zone Practice
"Reality": Construction, Deconstruction, and Reconstruction
Hofstadter's Road Sign |
Download/view model (then chose File> Save Page As, save with .nlogo extension).
The interactive display below can be used to acquire the ability to see Hofstadter's Road Sign in at least four different ways. Controls to the left allow one to bias one's perception by adding apparent barriers and arrows. Controls to the right allow one to vary the color of the dots at various locations in ways that may help one see different patterns. Your comments are welcomed in the forum below.
"Reality" as deconstruction
Your computer is actually displaying the two patterns illustrated below, one after the other again and again.
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"Reality" as construction
There are at least four different ways that your brain may see the display.
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Posted by Laura Cyckowski and Paul Grobstein 29 March 2008. Applets created using NetLogo, the availability of which is gratefully acknowledged.
Comments
trash trucks
The big trash trucks in our city have hazard lights on the back that use this pattern. If I see one in the morning when it is barely light out, the lights seem to chase each other. If I see one when it is full daylight they seem to just move up and down. Even if I concentrate on "creating" the other pattern, it doesn't change. I wonder if someone purposely designed the lights to flash in this way to mess with people's perceptions?!
tilt your head to the side
tilt your head to the side
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What brain info does the road sign give
I seem to see two dots moving up and down, or two arrows moving up and down. Pointing the arrows clockwise or counterclockwise makes no difference, though I can see why it might. Is there any psychological lesson in this, any insight? If not, what's the point?
INTERACTIVE BRAIN LEARNING
Construction and deconstruction in brain functioning
China
Hi Cynthia: I would love to ask you a teaching question. I am from America, but am now teaching here in China (Dalian)
drop me a hello:
Paul
Construction and deconstruction in brain functioning
Construction and deconstruction in brain functioning
Construction and deconstruction in brain functioning
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