The sense of sight helps us orient the world, but it can also be deceiving.
The ability for humans to perceive images is dependent on many factors, including: the eyes’ health, the lighting on the object, or perspective … The influence of these subjective circumstances makes it possible to see the same image in very different ways.
The brain tends to want to see drawings in 3D, just like the reality surrounding it. So when it comes to compiling objects in 2D and 3D, it can get lost.
David Heger of New York University explains the problem of spatial vision and the tendency of the eyes to see things in 3D, through this drawing of two tables: one is seen from the front and the other from the side. He recommends looking at both pieces of furniture and deciding what size they might be.
The eyes and brain obviously hint at the fact that the tables are of different sizes. The furniture seen from the side seems much longer than the one we’re looking at from the front. But in reality … there is no difference between them!
The table test is a great example that shows that the eyes cannot be trusted 100% of the time. It’s worth it to look more closely at the world, so that the misperception of our sense of sight doesn’t become a cause for misunderstanding …