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Reverse
Masks is an example of what can happen when vision and experience
tell us different things. Two masks of faces are mounted side
by side--the right one caves in, the left one, like a real
face, sticks out. When viewing the masks from a distance,
the images look two-dimensional or flat. Because we know from
experience that faces normally protrude, we assume that both
faces are convex. If visitors walk back and forth in front
of the masks, however, the right one seems to follow them.
Parallax refers to the rule that more distant objects move
less. Since the nose of this mask moves the least, it would
seem to indicate a hollow face. Experience overrides this
conclusion and the result is perception of a moving face,
rather than a hollow one.
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