Seeing your Blind Spot!

How to See You Own Blind Spot?!

Did you know your retina (the back part of your eye) reacts to light and sends signals to the brain – which is what seeing is? There is, however, part of the retina that doesn’t give visual information. This is your eye’s blind spot. You are so used to it, you don’t know it is there – until you try this simple experiment!

What you will need

1. One 3 x 5 inch (8 x 13 cm) card or other stiff paper
2. A ruler

How to do it

1. Mark a dot and a cross on the card as shown.
2. Hold the card at eye level at arm’s length, with the cross on the right.
3. Close your right eye and look at the cross with your left. Notice that you can also see the dot.
4. Focus on the cross, and slowly bring the card towards your face. The dot will disappear, and then reappear, as you bring the card closer.
5. Now close your left eye and look at the dot with your right. This time the cross will disappear and reappear as you bring the card slowly towards your face.

What’s happening?

The optic nerve carries messages from your eye to your brain. This bundle of nerve fibres passes through one spot on the retina of your eye. In this spot there are no light receptors. When you hold the card so that the light from the dot falls on this spot you cannot see the dot. Your brain automatically “fills in” the blind spot for you – taking its cue from what it sees surrounding the blind spot. This is why you just can’t see a blind spot – even though it is right there, all the time.

We like to think that the UK's original science party is still the best.

But we'd never let you take our word for it.

Press play, below and discover what all the fuss is about!

Don't miss out - call now on 02089535566 or Click Here to Check Price & Availability right now!

Get in touch right now!

Home - Privacy Policy - Party Terms and Conditions - Cookies Policy - Sitemap - Blog - Contact

Copyright 2006-2023 - Science Boffins Ltd - All Rights Reserved - Registered in England and Wales, Company Number 06912483 Registered Address: Science Boffins, Devonshire House, Manor Way, Borehamwood WD6 1QQ - Phone: 020 8953 5566