Astounding Assumptions

We’ve all misjudged an object’s weight - like lifting an empty container expecting it to be full. A striking example of this is the Size-Weight Illusion: when two objects weigh the same but differ in size, the smaller one feels heavier. Our brains, shaped by experience, anticipate that larger objects should weigh more, leading to this surprising misperception. This illusion highlights how haptic perception isn’t just about what we feel—it’s shaped by what we expect to feel. Studying these quirks helps researchers understand perception, refine motor control, and even improve designs for tools, robotics, and virtual reality systems.

Our eyes are neither cameras nor tape measures - they don’t simply record reality or measure colours or light levels. Instead, they interpret. A grey shade can appear lighter or darker depending on its surroundings, and two identical objects may seem different in size due to context effects. These illusions reveal how perception depends on our assumptions and prior experience. Understanding these quirks has real-world applications, from designing safer road signs to improving virtual reality and digital displays.

Our mind does not record and store every detail we encounter- it filters and focusses on what it assumes to be most relevant. This leads to the phenomenon of inattentional blindness, where we fail to notice things happening right in front of us, and change blindness, where even obvious changes go unnoticed. These quirks reveal how selective our attention can be, and how easily we can miss details in the world around us. Understanding these processes is key to improving safety in high-stakes environments where missing details can have serious consequences and can help us appreciate just how (in)accurate eyewitness accounts can be.