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Science Snacks
Science activity that demonstrates an optical illusion
Science activity that demonstrates an optical illusion
  • Science activity that demonstrates an optical illusion
  • Science activity that demonstrates an optical illusion

Hole in Your Hand

What happened to your whole hand?

You have two eyes, yet you see only one image of your environment. If your eyes receive conflicting information, what does your brain do? 


Grade Bands: 
3-5
6-8
9-12
Subject: 
Biology
Anatomy & Physiology
Neuroscience
Perception
Optical Illusions
Physics
Light
Keywords: 
eye
paper
NGSS and EP&Cs: 
LS
LS1
PS
PS4
CCCs
Cause and Effect
Structure and Function

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Tools and Materials

  • A 8 1/2 x 11-inch (A4) sheet of white paper
  • Transparent tape

Assembly

Roll the sheet of paper lengthwise into a tube 11 inches (28 cm) long and about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) in diameter. Use tape to keep it from unrolling.


To Do and Notice

Take the tube in your right hand. Hold it up to your right eye and look through the tube, keeping both eyes open. You should be able to see the inside of the tube as well as what's around the tube.

Now place your left hand, fingers pointing up and palm facing you, against the left side of the tube, about halfway down (click to enlarge the diagram below). Notice that your hand appears to have a hole in it.

Try switching your hands and your eyes. Hold the tube in your left hand, up to your left eye, and bring your right palm up against the tube, keeping both eyes open.


What’s Going On?

One of your eyes sees a hole, the other sees a hand. Your eyes and brain add the two images together, creating a hand with a hole in it!

Some people find that this effect is stronger with one eye compared to the other. That's because one eye is likely dominant, which means your brain has a slight preference for visual information from that eye over the other. This is similar to being left- or right-handed, although your eye and hand preference don't necessarily match! 



Related Snacks

Science activity that demonstrates a visual illusion
Overlapping Spots

Make a bright spot brighter.

Science activity that demonstrates the dominant eye phenomena
Circles or Ovals?

Your brain combines information from your eyes in surprising ways.

Science activity that demonstrates lateral inhibition in visual perception
Lateral Inhibition

Which is in control, your eyes or your brain?



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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Attribution: Exploratorium Teacher Institute

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