A while ago I got interested in the question: 'do there exist patterns or pictures that can cause actual physical pain to view'. I can't remember exactly why this question seemed to important, but I'm sure everybody will agree that it is a fun one to ask.
At the time there existed a website (sadly dead now) on which the existence of these pictures was confirmed and a single reference given: Computers and the Imagination by Clifford Pickover. Sadly this book is out of print at the moment but I managed to grab a second hand copy off eBay, where I found the following quote:
Awesome! I knew immediately that I had no choice but to find this picture and stare at it until my eyes melted. Thankfully Mr. Pickover gave a reference to a journal article in which the picture was reprinted:
Oh my, this is in the University library! Not only does it include a description of what the image looks like:
but it is reproduced in full on the second page!
The picture in the paper was pretty uncomfortable to look at, and after ten or so seconds I turned my eyes away due to a really unpleasant 'swimming' sensation.
Recently I found a reproduction of the image on the internet (here it is!), unfortunately the size of the stripes depends strongly on monitor resolution, so for me this image did absolutely nothing.
Obviously you should probably not click the above link if you suffer from migraines or are epileptic.
I want to know now why this picture is so hard to look at.
At the time there existed a website (sadly dead now) on which the existence of these pictures was confirmed and a single reference given: Computers and the Imagination by Clifford Pickover. Sadly this book is out of print at the moment but I managed to grab a second hand copy off eBay, where I found the following quote:
In 1984, several British researchers discovered that some people find a certain pattern of stripes painful to look at; moreover, stripe viewing apparently induced headache attacks in some subjectsAwesome! I knew immediately that I had no choice but to find this picture and stare at it until my eyes melted. Thankfully Mr. Pickover gave a reference to a journal article in which the picture was reprinted:
Wilkins, A. et. al. (1984), 'A Neurological Basis for Visual Discomfort', Brain, 107:989-1017Oh my, this is in the University library! Not only does it include a description of what the image looks like:
a circle filled with alternating black and white stripes. At a viewing distance of 43cm, this grating has a spatial frequency of 3 cycles/degree of visual arc, and a Michelson contrast of about 0.7but it is reproduced in full on the second page!
The picture in the paper was pretty uncomfortable to look at, and after ten or so seconds I turned my eyes away due to a really unpleasant 'swimming' sensation.
Recently I found a reproduction of the image on the internet (here it is!), unfortunately the size of the stripes depends strongly on monitor resolution, so for me this image did absolutely nothing.
Obviously you should probably not click the above link if you suffer from migraines or are epileptic.
I want to know now why this picture is so hard to look at.
