The Subjective Nature of Objectness
The images below appear to contain random dot patterns. These are the first 2 frames
from a movie (.MOV) file which you can download by clicking on any of the images. The file
contains a sound track and is 3,094,350 bytes. Since this clip contains only a couple of
seconds of play time, I suggest that you configure your player to loop or recycle.
When you view each frame as a still image there is no hint of a disk shaped object.
In the movie, frames are shown in rapid succession and a disc appears to bounce from left
to right across the screen. The frame to frame displacement of a group of dots is
sufficient disparity to cause us to organize the dots into a moving object.
Gestalt psychologists called grouping phenomena like this one, "Common
Fate".
