Is your Brain a Lefty or Righty?

JC 2K3 · 04-08-2009 9:42pm

Indeed.

Tbh, I've seen it before and never heard anything about it being related to left or right brain functions.

05-08-2009 3:28pm

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Where's the science behind this?

My guess is that there's no psychological or mental science behind it, only trickery.

It's a gimmick. The person is spinning clockwise (looking from the top down); just look at her upper abdomen: it's not possible for that to be perceived as spinning anti-clockwise. The issue of her spinning anti-clockwise only arises when you take the shaddow she creates and her legs into account.

I'd say that it's only an optical illusion padded with some pseudoscience: there's nothing deeper to it (but, if some evidence was produced, I'm willing to bite my own words).

kgpixels · 06-08-2009 2:09pm

anti-clockwise so a lefty

watty · 06-08-2009 3:57pm

You can learn how to flip it at will.

There may be some bias biologically for which direction it turns.

I have to momentarily look away or blink to change its apparent direction.

rockmongrel · 07-08-2009 3:19pm

Well it started out clockwise, then I looked away and back and it was anti-clockwise. I'd probably share traits with both groups, and the fact that I'm left handed and right footed probably contributes to the confusion

Edit: Typo.

A7X · 10-08-2009 12:47am

Im just finding this so wierd cause I can randomly make it change and one thing I noticed is that her head is tilted in the direction she is spinning no matter which way you percieve her as spining. I really can't see how its possible. Id love to know how the optical illusion is achieved.

Its always anti clockwise when I look at it first.

WindSock · 10-08-2009 2:21pm

I'm trying to use the force to change it but the picture keeps jamming and I'm getting a headache:(

Piste · 10-08-2009 11:26pm

It started out counter-clockwise but I can now change it at will.

Fairdues · 11-08-2009 3:14pm

Lefty.

stevejazzx · 11-08-2009 8:28pm

she goes clockwise - anything else is a brain failure!

Fluorescence · 20-08-2009 12:37am

Clockwise - righty :P That's cool

constance tench · 21-08-2009 10:25pm

A7X wrote: »

one thing I noticed is that her head is tilted in the direction she is spinning no matter which way you percieve her as spining.

yes!.. truly bizarre..

Drakmord · 21-08-2009 10:37pm

Can only see it moving clockwise! But those attributes don't really describe me at all.
Oh, when reading the attributes, it's going anticlockwise.
So if I don't look directly at it, it goes anticlockwise.

lizzyvera · 23-08-2009 1:56pm

I can change it easily by looking at the shadow, or by imagine the leg is coming outwards on both sides. I don't believe the analysis.

grenache · 25-08-2009 7:56pm

She's definitely going to clockwise, so thats Righty for me.

What they're saying on there is that right brain users are total spacers. Sounds about right

D0nners · 28-08-2009 12:39am

I was just about to post how I could only see it going anti clockwise and how I could not comprehend the clockwise replies.
But I just went back to look at it there and shes going clockwise. :eek:

The way in which the brain works is fascinating.

Edit: I would relate with most of those lefty characteristics myself. Big maths/science nerd.

coady · 28-08-2009 12:45am

it keep's changing direction

TheManWho · 28-08-2009 1:50am

It's just an optical illusion and has nothing to do with your right or left brain. This article explains it pretty well.

Michellenman · 28-08-2009 1:54am

It started off clockwise but after concentrating (to the point of giving myself a headache) I can change it to make it go either way.

wudangclan · 25-09-2009 2:31pm

i thought it was if you were left-handed you use the right hemisphere of your brain and vice versa.
i'm left handed,i see her turning clockwise so in my case this theory would hold up,but i'm guessing from the amount of people seeing her turn clockwise also ,that this theory falls a bit flat (unless a disprortionate number of left-handers are posting here which would correlate with the theory as right-brainers would be more likely to expand their horizons)

Slash/ED · 25-09-2009 9:00pm

I'm right handed and can't fathom how anyone see's it as anything other than clockwise

Coriolanus · 25-09-2009 11:31pm

Very odd, I'm a Righty by this, but pretty much always thought I was a lefty. Go figure!

philologos · 26-09-2009 6:21pm

Sometimes when I'm looking at it it is clockwise, and then at other times anti-clockwise very weird indeed. Mostly clockwise, but also anti-clockwise.

itsallaboutheL · 26-09-2009 6:29pm

That is insane!! First of all it was clockwise but after a minute of trying i can now decided for myself which way i want it to spin...... that's pretty cool.!!

Overheal · 26-09-2009 7:15pm

what if its a trick gif and it just shifts playback direction every so often?

hoolio · 27-09-2009 3:28am

it's not a trick gif. you can decompile it and see that the image doesn't switch or reverse ever if you really want to.

it's just a depth optical illusion, like a necker cube. it has *zero* to do with whether you're left or right brained (not that those concepts exist in anything like the way people think)

just choose which leg is in front to control her spin

miec · 02-10-2009 3:54pm

I could only view it anti-clock wise, but there is no way in hell do I have a leftie brain, I am way up there with the fairies nearly, very illogical, base stuff on intuition and take horrendous risks (got better as I age). Great article though.