Can you solve this blossoming brainteaser in less than 12 seconds? There’s science behind why you might be struggling
Spring is in the air – and it’s also the theme of a blooming brainteaser that has players scratching their heads behind.
The tricky puzzle shows a sea of pink and purple flowers, along with a small hidden handbag.
Designed by UK-based fashion retailer Quiz, it challenges viewers to find the wallet faster than the record time of 12 seconds.
Try it out below and let us know how it went for you in the comments!
A blooming brainteaser challenges the audience to spot a hidden handbag in the sea of colorful flowers in less than 12 seconds
“Still not quite cracked the blooming brainteaser? Here’s a clue…think pink,” Quiz said.
There’s science behind why you might have trouble recognizing the handbag.
Scientists at the University of Washington Health Sciences have been conducting research to discover how the brain works to sort out shapes, from shapes that are completely visible to shapes that are largely hidden.
Studies of signals generated by the brain help to clarify the picture of what happens when we try to recognize shapes.
Such research also shows why attempts to mechanically replicate humans’ ability to identify partially hidden objects have failed.
The team used a computer game in a study that allows players to determine whether two shapes are the same or different.
A correct answer wins a treat. As dots appear over the shapes, the task becomes more difficult.
During the easy part, the brain fired signals into parts of the visual cortex related to seeing.
And the neurons responded more strongly to visible shapes.
How long did it take you to see the handbag? Let us know in the comments
Because the shapes were covered in dots, the team saw neurons activate in areas related to memory and planning – the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.
“The researchers also noted that many of the neurons in the visual cortex had two rapid response peaks,” the team shared in a statement. rack.
The second occurred after the onset of response in the thinking part of the brain. This seemed to enhance the response of the neurons in the visual cortex to the partially hidden shapes.
The results, according to senior researcher Anitha Pasupathy, suggest how signals from the two different brain regions — thinking and seeing — may interact to help recognize shapes that aren’t fully visible.
The researchers believe that other brain regions, in addition to those they studied, are likely to participate in object recognition.
“It’s not just the information flowing from the eyes to the sensory site of the brain that’s important to knowing what a shape is when it’s partially covered,” Pasupathy said.
Feedback from other brain areas also helps to make that determination.’
Relying solely on the image of an object appearing on the retina of the eye makes it difficult to discern what it is, because that image can have many interpretations.
And that’s why the pink handbag seems to blend in with the colorful flowers.
