What number do you see?
The optical illusion of characters hidden in a black-and-white swirl has gone viral, prompting a range of reactions.
Your eyesight will be put to the test with this fascinating optical illusion.
A number is partially hidden within a striped black and grey circle in the image. The audience is asked if they see a number and, if so, what number it is.
The stripes are arranged in irregular spirals, making calculating the number even more difficult.
After the visual puzzle went popular on Twitter, thousands of people from all around the world viewed it and came to quite diverse conclusions about the hidden figurines.
One person tweeted: ’45 283…and what’s the catch? Should I book an appointment with my GP?’
Another posted: ‘I can only see 528. Does that mean anything about my eyesight?’
‘I can see 45283,’ a third wrote,’since glancing at the other replies, I’ve noticed that others are seeing two other numbers.’ I see numbers there, but I can’t figure out what they are.’
However, the correct answer is 3452839, which is seven digits.
The illusion is thought to work by using contrast sensitivity, a crucial measure of visual function that allows us to distinguish between objects and their backgrounds.
This is useful in real-life scenarios like driving in low light or fog, where the contrast between objects and their backgrounds is diminished and a higher level of contrast sensitivity is required.
The numbers are on one level and the swirls are on the other in the puzzle.
People with stronger contrast sensitivity are more likely to be able to see all seven digits at the same time.
Poor contrast sensitivity can be a sign of a variety of visual problems, such as cataracts or glaucoma.
