Experiment 1 Experiment 2
In Experiment 1, both of the dots on the left appeare to move to the single dot
on the right, because this is the only logical place the brain can invent for
them to go. In Experiment 2 however the bottom dot appeares to hide behind the
patch on the right. the brain, through evolution, recognizes that objects in the
real world do not spontaneously disappear and reappear. The closest real world
situation where this occurs is when a walking person (or animal) passes behind
an object such as a tree and the tree momentarily occludes (or hides) that person.
Thus, these experiments are proving that the brain is trying to offer a rational
explanation for the disappearing triangle and the dot. The brain interprets their
disappearance as the closest opaque object simply covering it.