PERCEPTUAL STEWARDSHIP LAB
The Earth Illusion
Make reality feel weird.
Then make it make sense.
Three intuitive illusions that show how form and position shape what feels true. Then: subscribe to Lab Notes for deeper experiments and essays.
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Ponzo (Railway) illusion — equal lines, warped by depth Two equal horizontal bars placed between converging rails appear different in length. A sliding ruler aligns to each bar to show they are identical.
Your eyes insist the upper bar is longer. The ruler proves they’re equal. Context (position) rewrites truth.
Ebbinghaus (Titchener) illusion — size judged by surroundings Two identical orange circles are surrounded by small versus large blue circles, altering perceived size. A measuring bar verifies they match.
Both orange circles are identical. Neighborhood (position) changes judgment.
Checker‑Shadow — same shade, different story A checkered board with a cast shadow makes two identical squares appear different. A reveal strip proves they match. A B
Square A looks darker than B—until you reveal the bridge. Illumination (position) edits truth.

Why this matters

Perception writes your world. Your brain edits for context, expectation, and position. On this page, nothing cheated—but it often felt like it did. That’s the Earth Illusion: Truth = Form + Position.

Our work: design precise, repeatable experiments that reveal these edits—and turn them into tools for better attention, argument, and identity work.

House rules

  • Everything demonstrable. No gimmicks, no vibes-only mysticism.
  • Named handles you can practice (and teach).
  • Signal over noise. Monthly cadence, lifetime calibration.

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Episodes

Trailer embed
Episode 1
Episode 2