Saturday, November 11, 2017

Am I Going In Circles...?

Sometimes the seemingly easiest things are not easy at all.

For instance, why can't we walk in a straight line when blindfolded? We do OK when we can see, but cover our eyes and ...BAM! We go in circles. Worst part is, no one knows why.

Why Can’t We Walk In A Straight Line With Our Eyes Closed?



Try this: Go out to a park, put on a blindfold, and try to walk in a straight line. When you take your blindfold off, you’ll discover something strange, other than that your wallet’s now missing. No matter how careful you were, most people will end up spinning around in circles if they don’t have a clear target to walk toward, and nobody knows why.

Scientists have done multiple experiments on this effect, watching how people walk visually and even mapping out how they move with GPS. They’ve learned a few things: We know that the darker the sky is, the more people spin in circles, but we still don’t know why it happens.

There are certainly theories. Some scientists have speculated that it’s because of brain dominance, and others think it’s due to differences in the lengths of our legs—but the only thing experiments have been able to prove for sure is that every theory we’ve ever come up with is definitely wrong.

I pretty much can't walk a straight line at the best of times, even with my eyes wide open. I tend to lean a lot and bump into things. Maybe I'm just clumsy or something...who knows?

Coffee out on the patio this morning. It's chilly, but nothing we can't handle.

6 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

I know that I take a longer stride with one foot than the other and my jeans tend to work slightly to my left side. Who knows? - lol

Momlady said...

I seem to remember trying that once a long time ago. Can't remember which direction I went. Maybe I'll try it on my grandkids.

Sixbears said...

I'm like you. I'm hard pressed to walk a straight line with my eyes open.

Looking at the snow on the ground and really enjoying the first coffee of the day.

JO said...

Straight line? Not happening with me either and that is with my eyes open. If I was ever given a test to see if I was drunk I would fail and go to jail for driving impaired.

I don't mind chilly at all after the summer I had here. 57 right now

HermitJim said...

Hey Gorges...
Guess maybe we are all a little off balance. Your guess is as good as mine, my friend.
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Momlady...
If I were to blindfold myself, I would probably doze off for a nap. Doesn't take much anymore, it seems.
Thanks for coming over today!


Hey Sixbears...
Can't believe you have snow on the ground. Glad we don't get any of the white stuff here in the Houston area. Too messy for my taste.
Thanks for the visit this morning!


Dizzy-Dick said...

The only time I could walk a straight line was back in my drinking days (grin).