Another challenge involving an optical illusion has surfaced on social media, sparking a great deal of curiosity even as it spells trouble for many. This particular puzzle challenge is to find the number 183 hidden within a series of 135s. The first impression of the grid is that the numbers are the same. On closer inspection, however, one number does not conform with the others.
Why It’s Tricky
The illusion tricks the victim by similarity. The numbers 1 3 and 5 are shaped in a way that resemble the digit 8 and at a glance, many would argue that 8 has been replaced by 5. This causes the brain to ignore the 183 entirely as the formation is mainly focused on capturing the repetition.
Growing Popularity of Number Puzzles
The past year has seen a remarkable increase in the number of social media posts featuring optical illusion number puzzles. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook in particular have many such puzzles, and users seem to derive great enjoyment from comparing their vision with the small numbers hidden behind large numbers. Many psychologists argue that exercises such as these can improve focus and enhance visual memory.
The Viral Factor
Many puzzle lovers started sharing this puzzle in particular and, in doing so, framed it as a race against the clock. Users were given a time constraint of ten seconds to search for the hidden 183 which added an element of competition to the task. The people who completed the task quickly beamed with pride and began to share their screenshots, while the others admitted to scanning the grid more than once before finding the anomaly.
The Brain Behind the Buzz
Visual specialists indicate that wor puzzles such as these serve to demonstrate the level of dependence the human brain has on patterns to facilitate thinking. Our eyes are designed to identify recurrent patterns and overwrite less important details. It is the reason why so many people fail to observe the 183, regardless of the fact that the figure stand outs.
A Reminder of Human Perception
More than just serving as entertaining puzzles, the 183 demystifies an important aspect of human perception. What we are prepared to ‘see’ is not necessarily the complete ‘picture’ and this apprehension of the difference between reality and perception is often the reason why there is a fascination with optical illusions.
Optical illusion Answer
So, did you manage to find the 183 among 135s within the time limit? Did you see it immediately or did you need to a lot of re-checks? The task demonstrates how the brain can be tricked by the perception of what is ‘familiar’. It was an easy task for some, and a overconfidence for others which served as a reminder to take the task more seriously. Different from the previous ways the latest optical illusion has still shown that the slightest details can still capture and keep the attention of millions of people.