What is the name of the flickering light used to create visual illusions?

March 5, 2006 11:29 PM

What is the name of the flickering light used to create visual illusions?

There is a kind of optical illusion caused by watching light flickering at the correct frequencies with eyes closed. IIRC the inventor initially discovered it walking down a tree covered path with eyes closed. Something that appears to be what I am thinking of appears prominantly in the music video for "papercuts" by Broadcast.
Thanks in advance.

posted by scodger to science & nature (11 comments total)

A strobe light?
posted by knave at 11:37 PM on March 5, 2006

strobe?
posted by zadcat at 11:37 PM on March 5, 2006

With your eyes closed? I've never heard of anything like that. A strobe light can flicker extremely quickly, and was invented to research moving objects, basically being used as a camera flash for high-speed photography
posted by delmoi at 11:48 PM on March 5, 2006

No, it's not a strobe. The device consists of a cardboard tube with patterns cut out of it, rotating with a light in the centre.
Will post a screen cap in 30 mins or so.
posted by scodger at 12:00 AM on March 6, 2006

Ok, DVD was easier to find than i thought. Try here. The cardboard cover is rotating reasonably quickly in the video. Sorry for the crap initial description.
posted by scodger at 12:09 AM on March 6, 2006

dream machine?
posted by juv3nal at 12:11 AM on March 6, 2006

That's exactly it. I had remembered something a little less "new age" if you will, but it is definitely what I was meaning.
posted by scodger at 12:19 AM on March 6, 2006

I don't get it. How can you see anything with your eyes closed?
posted by Rash at 9:15 AM on March 6, 2006

Rash: Your eyelids aren't completely opaque.
posted by mendel at 10:38 AM on March 6, 2006

Sure -- but one could hardly "see" an image like that scodger's jpeg with eyes shut.
posted by Rash at 11:28 AM on March 6, 2006

Zoetrope?
posted by catkins at 12:08 PM on March 6, 2006