Spotting Mistakes Addendum

As an addendum to last Friday’s blog post, Spotting Mistakes, try these challenges and illusions. (I’d credit the sources, but they appear on numerous websites.) Some people aren’t challenged in the least. Me? I saw the first one in a training program some 20 years ago and never forgot how poorly I did. (You’ll find answers at the bottom.)

Challenge 1: How many Fs are there in the following sentence? Count them only once.

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE-
SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIF-
IC STUDY COMBINED WITH
THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.

Challenge 2: What does the sign say?

Challenge 3: Despite the typos, I bet you have no problem reading the following.

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Challenge 4: Can you count the black dots?

Challenge 5: Stare at the figure. Is it animated--shimmering and moving? Follow the outermost groove around the wheel and it will probably change from a groove to a hump.

Challenge 6:  Close your right eye. Look at the L below with your left eye only. If you slowly move your head closer or farther from the screen while looking at the L, the R will disappear when your head is about 20 inches from the screen. Try it looking at the R, with your right eye only.

            R                                                               L





ANSWERS: 
Challenge 1: If you counted 6, you’re hired as a proofreader.
Challenge 2: “THE” appears twice.
Challenge 4: There are no black dots