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Can you imagine why the rotation of the wheel would appear to flicker when you eat crunchy food?
In our daily lives, many simple visual phenomena can trigger deep thinking. When we watch movies or TV, we sometimes notice that the wheel does not rotate as smoothly as it actually does, sometimes it seems to be standing still or even running in the opposite direction. This phenomenon is called the "wagon wheel effect" and is a visual illusion that often occurs in rotating objects such as large tires, helicopter rotors, and even in the sounds of crunchy food that we usually see.
The wagon wheel effect is a visual phenomenon in which the rotation of a wheel appears different from its actual rotation and may appear to rotate more slowly, to be stationary, or to rotate in the opposite direction.
This effect is most common when shooting film, as the recorded frame rate does not match the speed at which the wheel is turning, making it problematic as to when the wheel's movement can be seen. For example, when shooting a movie, a traditional VCR runs at 24 frames per second while a digital VCR runs at 25 or 29.97 frames per second. These changes in frame rate will create a visual difference in time. You might wonder why, in one particular case, even continuous light can't completely eliminate this illusion?
When a wheel is rotating at a certain speed, the viewer may perceive the wheel as stationary if the frequency of the light illuminating it matches the speed of rotation.
In fact, what’s even more interesting is that this illusion doesn’t just occur in dim light; different wheel movement patterns are also observed when the light is constantly bright. In this case, scientists found that there are three forms of subjective flicker effects: alpha, beta, and gamma. These patterns demonstrate a more complex visual processing mechanism for the perception of wheel rotation.
The alpha flicker effect occurs between 8 and 12 Hz, and the wheel appears stationary; while the beta flicker effect occurs between 30 and 35 Hz, and there is a clear tendency for the wheel to rotate in the opposite direction.
Recent research suggests that when you eat crunchy foods, the tiny vibrations in your mouth may match the frequency of your eye movements, which results in a similar perception of the wagon wheels, such as when you chew a carrot. The image on the screen will appear to flicker mysteriously. This means that not only are you tasting your food, you’re also inadvertently taking advantage of an optical illusion.
Furthermore, since this illusion also occurs in those moving shapes, it has importance in applying it to real life. For example, in certain engineering tasks, such as adjusting the timing of an engine or adjusting the speed of a vinyl record turntable, designers often use these effects to make rotating marks appear visually stationary. This is due to the fact that the frequency of the power supply (e.g. 50 Hz or 60 Hz) corresponds precisely to the required rotation speed.
However, the presence of this illusion can also be potentially dangerous, especially when operating certain rotating machinery. For example, at certain speeds, some lathes may make the operator feel as if the machines are stationary, and such misjudgment may lead to accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to use lighting equipment powered by multi-phase power to reduce the occurrence of this danger.
Finally, combining all this information, we can't help but think that this visual illusion is not only due to the advancement of technology, but also to how we distinguish between reality and illusion in life, which in turn affects our behavior and perception. The next time you chew on a crunchy food, do you notice the mechanisms and secrets behind the flickering images?
