The Physics of Perception: Why We Don’t See Reality

Introduction

What if the world we perceive is just an illusion of Reality?

As humans, we use our 5 senses to make sense of the world around us; for example, the sound of a train passing, the shape of a shadow. But our senses, due to ourselves being adapted primarily to survival rather than accuracy, can mislead us. However, physics provides an objective lens in which we can view the world around us.

This project will focus on how light, sound, and motion interact with perception - and to therefore show inherent quirks and limitations of the human mind. Through clear and easy to follow explanations, paired with diagrams and interactive demonstrations, you'll discover how various physics principles such as refraction, wave compression and visual context create powerful illusions that fool our brains every day

Why does a straw look broken in a glass of water? Why does an ambulance shift in pitch as it passes? How can 2 identical lines appear different to us? Understanding this mannerism of the mind is a key step towards grasping how our mind interacts with - and sometimes distort - the physical world.

Contents

• Visual Illusions – Optical and geometric illusions.
• Refraction – How light bends.
• Doppler Effect – Pitch shifts due to motion.

Physics vs. Intuition

Our everyday impressions of reality may be misleading. Physics gives us an objective lens to help us see the world in a different way.

• Visual Illusions: Understanding visual illusions, such as the Müller-Lyer or Café Wall, show us how our eyes and brain can be tricked by subtle patterns and visual cues.
• Light-Based Effects: Light-Based Effects such as refraction show us that light doesn't always behave as we expect it to and so what we see using light may not always be accurate.
• Sound Illusions: Sound illusions, such as the Doppler Effect, reveal how what we hear can also be affected by external factors.

By comparing what we predict using physics with what we “see” or “hear”, we can uncover fascinating gaps between perception and reality.