Thu Jan 15 03:30:00 UTC 2026: Headline: The Hindu Explains the Illusion of Reverse Fan Rotation
The Story:
In a “Question Corner” feature published on January 15, 2026, The Hindu addresses the common visual illusion of a spinning fan appearing to rotate backward. The article elucidates the scientific reasons behind this phenomenon, explaining how our eyes and brains process motion in discrete snapshots, often misinterpreting the fan’s movements when it rotates nearly 360 degrees between updates. Additionally, the piece highlights the role of flickering LED and fluorescent lights, which can create a strobe effect that further contributes to the illusion.
Key Points:
- The illusion is caused by our visual system sampling motion in discrete snapshots rather than perceiving continuous movement.
- The brain tends to match the current image to the previous one using the smallest apparent shift, which can be negative (backwards).
- Flickering lights (LED and fluorescent) can act like a strobe, sampling the fan’s position at regular intervals.
- If the fan advances by slightly less than a full rotation between samples, it can appear to drift backwards.
Key Takeaways:
- Our perception of motion is not always accurate and can be influenced by the way our brains process visual information.
- The interaction between light and the movement of objects can create visual illusions.
- The brain’s tendency to seek the simplest explanation can lead to misinterpretations of motion.
First Piper 