Spotting the Obvious

[dbphoenix]

I assume we ignore the person in the gorilla suit?

 

[Crap Buddist]

Yeah I read his lips and he (i saw that also) said.....

"Which way to the precious mentals lounge !"

sorry I think he ment metals...

 

[timsk]

I assume we ignore the person in the gorilla suit?

This ever so slightly gives the game away for any new people viewing the video!

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

LOL. It's a great mind trick - I saw it (and fell for it) a while back as it was included in this list of other clever ones:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?&xml=/connected/2007/01/02/dlillusion02.xml&page=2#4

The Telegraph article also includes scientific explanations of why you see what you do in these illusions.

 

[zupcon]

Apologies to anyone I didn't send PM's too, the cats out of the bag now anyway.

For those who didn't notice anything "strange" occurring during the video, please go back and watch again, but this time just focus on the group of people, rather than watching the ball.

There's a few things that I think are worthy of discussion, and possibly in relation to trading, I'll try to post later time permitting

regards
zu

 

[firewalker99]

Apologies to anyone I didn't send PM's too, the cats out of the bag now anyway.

For those who didn't notice anything "strange" occurring during the video, please go back and watch again, but this time just focus on the group of people, rather than watching the ball.

There's a few things that I think are worthy of discussion, and possibly in relation to trading, I'll try to post later time permitting

regards
zu

As we all sent PM's to you... could you tell us how many of us actually noticed the gorila (including me)?

 

[Priceman]

Clever, very clever... I thought that maybe the site looked for a matching IP address second time that you viewed it and put the gorilla in the second time... Are you sure it was always in there? I'm normally very attentive to detail

 

[zupcon]

As we all sent PM's to you... could you tell us how many of us actually noticed the gorila (including me)?

Yes of course, just reading through them now

regards
zu

 

[zupcon]

Clever, very clever... I thought that maybe the site looked for a matching IP address second time that you viewed it and put the gorilla in the second time... Are you sure it was always in there? I'm normally very attentive to detail

I thought it was trick based on IP address too, as I couldnt believe that I missed something so obvious.

However, Ive actually sat with a few people (including two ex RAF fighter pilots) and watched them observing, and everyone Ive tried it with missed the Gorilla, its definately genuine, so you should be able to verify that for yourself.

I'll post the limited results we have shortly

regards
zu

 

[zupcon]

As we all sent PM's to you... could you tell us how many of us actually noticed the gorila (including me)?

A total of 12 people responded by PM (including a couple of havnt publically posted results). Out of the 12 results by PM only 2 claimed to have spotted the gorilla with only one other person reported spotting a strange blur mid way through the video. One of the people spotting the gorilla claims it may well have been by chance as he was distracted part way through viewing and stopped counting

From the posts here Im assuming C6ackp, Jack O Clubs and Priceman didnt see the gorilla 1st time, and I failed to spot it too. I assume dbPheonix spotted it

I make that 3 out of 17. Apologies to anyone Ive mis interpreted.

Im still awaiting results from Danial Lambert, Crap Buddist, Superspurs, Timssk, GrantX, Laptop1 and Gedward3

Ive been experiencing a few problems with the site over the last week, and PM's may possibly have gone astray, so appologies to anyone who I havnt been in touch with personally.

As the cats out of the bag now, I guess anyone who wishes to comment on what they saw / didnt see is free to do so.

regards
zu

 

[wasp]

..... with only one other person reported spotting a strange blur mid way through the video...

It was about a third of the way through and looked to me like one of the players in black actually did a quick Michael Jackson (moonwalk people! nothing else!) and pretended to pass to someone in white, before moving on. No way did it look like no gorilla the first time. Clever stuff!

(PS. I assume you were referring to me?!!!)

 

[grantx]

Zup,

“why we often fail to see what should be obvious…count how many times the ball is passed by those wearing white shirts”

That’s done, right or wrong answer.

“anything strange…watch the people”

I can’t remember whether I noticed the gorilla the first time – it was irrelevant to the question, anyway.

If the gorilla was spotted the first time - but irrelevant - then it couldn’t be considered strange subsequently.

“Strange” is too ambiguous.

Come on, Zup, put us out of our misery. I’m looking for things that aren’t there and seeing them.

Grant.

 

[CYOF]

Zu,

Forgive me, as you already know that I know nothing about anything.

My answer was 13, and I had not time to go and check the end link.

Now, remind me, was the question not to count how many times the whites passed the ball?

I will reply to your answer, but please clarify what was asked of the viewers at the start.

Cheers,

 

[zupcon]

Zup,

“why we often fail to see what should be obvious…count how many times the ball is passed by those wearing white shirts”

That’s done, right or wrong answer.

“anything strange…watch the people”

I can’t remember whether I noticed the gorilla the first time – it was irrelevant to the question, anyway.

If the gorilla was spotted the first time - but irrelevant - then it couldn’t be considered strange subsequently.

“Strange” is too ambiguous.

Come on, Zup, put us out of our misery. I’m looking for things that aren’t there and seeing them.

Grant.

Hi Grant

Sorry for the confusion, you are right, "Strange" is far to ambiguous a term to use. Trying to get results remotely has been harder than I envisaged, I suppose that I was influenced by my own reaction to the video, because I didnt see the Gorilla. I suppose I didnt think about how those who saw it would react. I think that when this experiment is done in real life, subjects are asked a variety of questions, did you see a dog, a cat, a man on a bicyle, a gorilla, a horse etc, and this helps to determine a little more accurately who actually saw what

The experiment is really just designed to show how many will fail to see the gorilla, and from the few people who responded, the majority where quite genuinely surprised (some where even shocked) that they failed to see something in a video, that actually tries to draw attention to itself.

Perhaps not the best of experiments to try remotely, and the site being practically unusable over the last few days didnt help.

regards
zu

 

[zupcon]

Zu,

My answer was 13, and I had not time to go and check the end link.

Now, remind me, was the question not to count how many times the whites passed the ball?

I will reply to your answer, but please clarify what was asked of the viewers at the start.

Cheers,

Hi CYOF

Forgive me if I just provide a bit of background for anyone reading this. CYOF was provided with a slightly different URL to everyone else, the URL CYOF was given requests that the viewer views the video, then answers a series of questions, then discusses the video and the results generally observed. I chose to give a link directly to the video on this thread, because the other sites a bit confusing, and irrelevant. If anyone wants the URL Im happy to post it

The original question is mainly irrelevant, but people where asked to count how many times the ball is passed between those wearing white. Its whats called an "experiment", the designer of the experiment is attempting to illustrate how easily people are detracted from looking at the big picture when focussing on detail, and the results are quite conclusive.

Im sure you saw the banana muncher, if you of all people failed to have spotted him this really would be the ultimate in comic irony.

 

[CYOF]

Hi CYOF

Forgive me if I just provide a bit of background for anyone reading this. CYOF was provided with a slightly different URL to everyone else, the URL CYOF was given requests that the viewer views the video, then answers a series of questions, then discusses the video and the results generally observed. I chose to give a link directly to the video on this thread, because the other sites a bit confusing, and irrelevant. If anyone wants the URL Im happy to post it

The original question is mainly irrelevant, but people where asked to count how many times the ball is passed between those wearing white. Its whats called an "experiment", the designer of the experiment is attempting to illustrate how easily people are detracted from looking at the big picture when focussing on detail, and the results are quite conclusive.

Im sure you saw the banana muncher, if you of all people failed to have spotted him this really would be the ultimate in comic irony.

Very good, but I will tell the Truth as always, I did not spot the furry creature, at all.

Now, this raises a very good question.

If you are given a Goal to achieve, and allow other things to distract you, then you will not achieve your Goal.

I would say, that in relation to trading, the ability to count the correct amount of passes is more important than seeing the Gorilla.

What do you think?

Is it better to be focused on what you are trying to achieve, count the number of white passes, or is it better to look for other things and not get any way near the correct number of white passes.

Seeing or not seeing the Gorilla, is irrelevant, to me, in the context of trading.

For other endeavours it may be more applicable :?:

Just my thoughts.

 

[zupcon]

Very good, but I will tell the Truth as always, I did not spot the furry creature, at all.

Now, this raises a very good question.

If you are given a Goal to achieve, and allow other things to distract you, then you will not achieve your Goal.

I would say, that in relation to trading, the ability to count the correct amount of passes is more important than seeing the Gorilla.

What do you think?

Is it better to be focused on what you are trying to achieve, count the number of white passes, or is it better to look for other things and not get any way near the correct number of white passes.

Seeing or not seeing the Gorilla, is irrelevant, to me, in the context of trading.

For other endeavours it may be more applicable :?:

Just my thoughts.

Thanks for the reply, this is exactly the sort of debate I hoped this might spark so thank you. Questions that immediately came to my mind where are as follows:

Why do only a few spot the gorilla ? and is this a strength or a weakness. You might argue (as you did) that failing to spot the Gorilla shows a certain ability to concentrate on the task at hand, and the ability to filter out extraneous noise, and these are clearly strengths. On the other hand it does show how easily we can be distracted, and how we are in danger of missing the bigger picture.

You say its irrelevant in the context of trading. Im not sure Id agree entirely, on a purely visual basis think about system design, and how easily certain patterns tend to lure our attention away from the bigger picture and less obvious. I often noticed that when looking at charts people tend to focus on evidence that supports their market view, whilst remaining blind to the opposite view. How many times have we taken trades which appear crazy when analysed in retrospect, yet we failed to see the obvious at the time.

Im sure everyone has their own interpretations, Im undecided as yet, but If this is a weakness how do we overcome it, or if its a strength how do we capitalise upon it.

again thanks for the response

regards
zu

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

Why do only a few spot the gorilla ? and is this a strength or a weakness. You might argue (as you did) that failing to spot the Gorilla shows a certain ability to concentrate on the task at hand, and the ability to filter out extraneous noise, and these are clearly strengths. On the other hand it does show how easily we can be distracted, and how we are in danger of missing the bigger picture....

Im sure everyone has their own interpretations, Im undecided as yet, but If this is a weakness how do we overcome it, or if its a strength how do we capitalise upon it.

The official explanation (somewhat paraphrased) is that we have a limited ability to hold visual scenes in our short term memory, which is all dealt with in a very specific part of the brain. The research indicates that we can only really take in about four (visual) objects at a time, more than that and we overload and miss really obvious stuff. It's probably linked to a lot of the 'I didn't see him' type car accidents. There's some evidence that people who see the gorilla have greater problem solving / reasoning skills than those that don't.

Only about 10% see the gorilla first time, apparently.

An even weirder experiment testing the same idea is where someone goes up to a stranger on a park bench and asks directions to somewhere. A couple of workmen then walk between the two people wheeling a large door or sheet of plywood, etc. Only about half the subjects notice that the person who is talking to them after the workmen have passed is completely different (height, hair colour, clothes) to the one who asked them the directions in the first place before the workmen walked by!

 

[Olipro]

I saw it first time and figured it was there to make it harder to count the passes

 

[timsk]

Visual Awareness

I am one of those who did NOT see the gorilla first time around. I'm mildly embarrassed about this as I like to think of myself as being visually aware. I have a formal arts training and have worked in the design, art and print business for most of my life.

As a small aside, I'll relate a tale from my art student days, many, many years ago in the late 1970's. I was doing a foundation course and every Monday evening there was a visiting 'lecturer'. The usual format was a second rate artist who'd been out of college for a year or two and was desperate to drone on about their 'work' to anyone prepared to listen. Every once in a while, we were treated to something different. Something special and a bit memorable. On the Monday evening in question, as usual, one hundred students or more were packed into a smoke filled canteen waiting for that week's guest artist to be introduced by the principal. What we got was out of the ordinary . . .

The main door of the canteen burst open and in rushes a person (the guest lecturer as it turned out) dressed in an Adam Ant style outfit wielding a very large plastic sword and proceeds to 'murder' one of the tutors. As a little visual flourish, the murderer sports a 'Daliesque' moustache and a pillar box red cape. He then exits and returns a few minutes later wearing normal clothes and asks the audience to describe what they think they have just witnessed. One very vociferous student asserts that the murderer was wearing a black cape, was clean shaven and attacked the tutor with a Stanley knife. Within half an hour, there wasn't a single person prepared to stand up and proclaim categorically that they witnessed a man in a red cape with a moustache murder the tutor with a sword.

It is difficult to describe the impact that evening has had on me. Had I not been there, I would have said it would be next to impossible to convince a large group of supposedly visually aware people that they had not seen something that they in fact had seen and, moreover, to convince them that they had seen something that they hadn't! But that's precisely what happened. Now, if it was just me, you could easily and understandably dismiss this incident and me. 'Let's face it folks, Timsk ain't the sharpest tool in the box'. But I was just one of at least 100 other students in that room.

I'd hate to collect real witness statements at the scene of a real crime, it must be a nightmare for the police. People see what they want to see or what they are told to see or lead to see by others. When we relate this to the markets, it's no surprise that one trader wants to head for the hills and exit the market at the very point that another trader wants to dive in.
Tim.