9.16.2008

Bored?

Okay, try this game. It's an interactive graphic from today's NYT Science article on math.

"Testing Your Approximate Number Sense:
Humans use two distinct number systems, one learned and one intuitive. Computation, such as taking a square root, is an abstract process that is uniquely human. But the nonverbal process of approximating numbers is a system we share with infants and many other animals."

Most adults who take this test get an average of 75% after taking it 25 times. I only got one wrong, when I had to differentiate between 14 blue dots and 15 yellow ones. I'm curious to see if artists test higher because of their visual spatial skills.

3 comments:

  1. I don't think art has anything to do with this - or at least I hope not, because then I'm never going to be an artist in any way.

    I did miserably! I got 40% exactly. How pitiful. Although in my defense, I think it might have to do with my vision to begin with. My eyes are so bad, that I see rings around anything brightly colored or shine, ie. the yellow dots on a dark background. I noticed that the majority of my incorrect answers occurred when the yellow dots were larger, thus creating larger rings of yellow, making me think there was more yellow.
    Or maybe I really am just pitiful.

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  2. How strange... I did this 23 times and didn't miss once. Weird. I am going to do it until I mess up since I don't think I can make a living off my newfound bizarre skill...

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  3. 78 and counting. giving up.

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