Did you notice that the second watch arrow seemed to hide for a split second when you first look at it? This is not a glitch of watches, but an amazing trick of our brain, shares IA EAOMEDIA. The phenomenon that seems to be magic of time has a scientific explanation.
The phenomenon, when the second hand shooter seems to be frozen longer than usual at the first glance, is called chronopsis or “time stop effect.” This is not a clip in the watch, but a feature of the brain. Our perception of time is not linear, the brain processes it with distortions. When the gaze falls on the arrow, the brain “completes” the picture, creating the illusion of a pause.
It's all about the Sakkads – quick eye movements when they jump from one object to another. During the Sakkada, the brain “turns off” vision in a split second so as not to see blur. To compensate for this gap, he fills it with the last image seen, stretching the moment. When looking at the clock, the brain fixes the arrow first and “holds” it a little longer.
The effect intensifies if a person is concentrated or waiting for something (for example, late). Studies show: the perception of time depends on attention and emotions!
