Did you know that your mind is trained to read for meaning? Just try the following: read the sentence at right and count the letter f‘s. I’ll explain this further few lines below.
After years of torture, I finally gave my last exam on Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb. Think of it as somewhat weaker variation of MIT. So I afforded myself a three-day vacation just to prepare for my 2-month summer vacation beginning July 15th ;) This is why you were 2 illusions short previous week.
Anyhow, I bought this book on a kiosk called “What Would Google Do” by Jeff Jarvis to see if it could help me brainstorm on some new ideas for our mega-blog. Most of the stuff was subconsciously known to me already, but it was nice to confirm some of my thoughts, and this book helped me reorganize few distribution techniques I use. I think it’s a good read for those struggling to make their blog successful. It motivated me further to orientate my work towards you, my dear audience. So expect some minor changes, and more work in a direction you asked for. I’ll begin with lowering the number of inner-links, and growing the amount of useful out-links, even though it may hurt our SEO. In the long run, these kind of things should help.
Now let’s get back to the illusion. How many times did you count the f’s? The answer is six. In case you got it wrong, then rest assured; the statement above is what caused you to get it wrong. The mind has a hard time when asked to read for specific letters, especially when those letters are in prepositions like of.
There are 6. How is this an illusion?
Wow I only got 3 xD
The illusion was good, but I suggest you proof read your own stuff. Some of you sentences didn’t make since.
i got six.
Hey, Dawna, maybe you should check your own sentences. You said, “Some of YOU sentences didn’t make SINCE.”
???
It should be: “Some of YOUR sentences don’t make SENSE.”
wow u have done the f thing before in a previous illusion, but it gets me EVERY SINGLE TIME!
Five first time around. Had to read it again and got six. Very interesting, indeed.
I refuse to use facebook, much preferring Stumbleupon, because it shows websites of interest, and I find it better to waste time learning things than looking at horribly inane comments on the wall. Can you not do something with them?
The above is very old, even I know that one!
Please carry on with your lovely whacky sentences, your website wouldn’t be the same without them.
glasshouses also spring to mind.
regards Barbara
Dawna, that was good…. since or sense?
maybe you should proof read also :D
Is there anybody out there other than me who thinks this website is educational?
for me, 6 at first time
@Barbara Barron
Well, after showing this site to my maths and physics teatchers, they both started to use this blog to search for a example. Now (of course not NOW – I’m on summer vacation) we get a illusion from moillusinons once a week ;)
Scientific files are never finished.
lisa – retarted ? Is that like when you put the same pink dress and stilettos on again ?
6
More of a mind trick isn’t it?
It’s no fun when you know what you are looking for – ‘been there done that’
I like the real optical illusions better!
Retarted……….uh retarded maybe? My god, is there no hope for the world? Nice illusion by the way. It got me, always does :)
Good one..I got 3 at first :)
People amaze me with their ignorance. Vurdlak’s first language is NOT English. Most of the people bitching end up spelling something wrong or using incorrect grammar in their posts. This isn’t the only type of illusion posted. Explore the rest of the site if you don’t like it. Jesus.
I found 3 f’s. Missed alle three “of”‘s.
AND retarded = characterized by retardation
RETARTED = not a word
Thanks, BYE!!
Lisa – why be a b****? An illusion does not have to be a trick of the eye it can be a trick of the mind:
–noun
1. something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.
2. the state or condition of being deceived; misapprehension.
3. an instance of being deceived.
I am tired of reading people’s comments saying “this isn’t an illusion” even if it’s not, who f*****g cares??? It’s interesting. Don’t get on here if you don’t like it.
Also criticizing the author, THAT’S retarded! Just shows immaturity and insecurity.
jeez…
I counted 5 and only counted once then when you said there are 6 I counted again and got 6.
I’ve seen this illusion before; very interesting.
Barbara Barron: I showed this website to my 10th grade psychology teacher about three years ago, and I’ve heard she uses it often for examples or projects or just to keep the class interesting.
I counted 6 – maybe because it is not my first language. Btw, I live in Zagreb :)
Vurdlak…..There are hundreds of us who read your program every day, and enjoy it. But we all have to take the ignorance along with the good. Keep up the great work!! And yes, do enjoy your vacation.
@ Lisa. Your inability to use a capital at the start of a sentence is what stinks. ‘I’ should be capitalized as well. Also, ‘who ever’ is ‘whoever’. Also, the definition for ‘Retarted” is as follows : Adj. 1.retarded – relatively slow in mental or emotional or physical development; “providing a secure and sometimes happy life for the retarded”
unintelligent, stupid – lacking intelligence; “a dull job with lazy and unintelligent co-workers”
As I don’t feel it’s even possible for a website to be slow in its mental and emotional development, maybe you’ll find this description more fitting to, say, you.
I knew that illusion, but I’ve been caught once again. Couldn’t find where were the missings “f” until I read the explanation.
And I would also like to add, if you can’t read this blog and make perfect sense of what he wrote, perhaps it’s you who should look into more English classes, because it sure wasn’t very hard for me. Or my 8 year old. Common sense for the win?
Great illusion, Vurdlak – I work with words for a living, and I missed the 3 ofs. Just shows how the brain works – skips right over those little connecting words as if they weren’t there!
I missed two even though I knew the illusion.
I wonder how many who claim to get it right off the bat actually did not but don’t want to admit it or want others to think they are superior. Particularly the snooty ones who point out superfluous flaws and ridicule those who are honest enough to admit they did not instantly get the illusion. In those cases it is very apparent the respondent is insecure and argumentative. They are quite often social outcasts due to their obsessive contrarianism.
Ive seen this “count the # of Fs” trick before. It only worked on me once, sorry.
@Barbara Barron
I’ve seen some classic optical illusions in my psychology textbook from school, such as the faces/vase and Escher’s drawings. Optical illusions show how people have subjective experiences.
@Tracy O Bryan Murray
Actually, people don’t have to come to this site and comment if they are going to be rude/negative about it.
this is so old, i got six, too easy once you know to look for of’s (because its old and done before :P )
yeeey Croatia rocks
If English is not your main language the odds are greater that you will count 6 fs.
founded 6 i already know that illusion
uhm….i got six and i dont even know how this is an illusion.
and who ever that is narrating this is doing a really bad job because i can tell he/she didnt do very well in english classes. you really stink.
and by the way, this is retarted
I agree with Debra and i got 3 the first time, By the way, Enjoy ur vacation and the Bozos who think they know more then everybody else are really annoying… Didn’t anyone ever tell you “if you don’t have anything good to say don’t say anything at all”???? And if you don’t like it DON’T VISIT THE WEBSITE!!!! WE DON’T NEED IDIOTS LIKE YOU!!!
Yeah Lacy you tell the banana to stuff it! :)
Anyone counted 4?
The illusion is that there’s a paperclip on a post-it note. Everyone knows that you don’t need a clip on a sticky note!
i reaed 6 f’s~~
I’ve seen this before, but I still only managed to count 5 the first time around.
I love this site because I’ve always been amazed of how the brain will react. Some illusions will always be better than others and certain people will never be happy with that idea.
Vurdlak, please ignore the rude comments by other personnel who don’t understand what it takes to run a website that people actually want to visit.
I got 2.. I should be ashamed.
LOL
Actually aarmac, it isn’t genuine ‘Post-it’ Yellow number 5 suggesting it is a knock-off sticky note and the glue sucks. That’s why the paper clip is needed. Sheesh!
It’s very surprising to see negative comments here. I love your site, I frequently “share” it on Facebook and regularly make my officemates look at things. Maybe you need to put an explanation up that lets people know they don’t have to look if they don’t want to.
Enjoy your vacation!
Hey u’ve already post this up b4 havent u? i only come to this blog to check out optical illusions and i rmb seeing this b4…
dis is not a illusion
This was cool, (I completely missed the f’s) but I don’t think it is one of your best :^(
I mean the Of’s
wow, i acctually get it………sort of
wow… haha I definitely only counted three :-P
Haha I understand why we only count three when we say it. We pronounce ‘of’ as ‘ov’ (if you don’t believe me, sound it out) so our brains don’t count the ‘f’ in ‘of’. It’s not so much of an illusion as a mind trick, but it’s still amazing!!
See how many letter e’s you can find on your first count & no more than one minute. There are only 16 words !!!
Ik got 24… first try.
omg… I meant not on the post it… xD
Well, 6 on the post it… 24 between the Part were you say Read the f’s and give the answer…
started counting and got to the last line and realized of had an f in it. then i realized i skipped every other “of”
I had a similar “counting f’s” test before at a workshop I was at. It becomes MUCH harder to spot F’s when A) The paragraph is longer and B) There is a time limit involved.
We were told that we would be marked on our speed and accuracy at finding F’s, and given about 30 seconds to count them. It was crazy tough! Only a few people managed to get the right number. Most people missed the F’s that make a ‘v’ sound like in the word ‘of’.
To @Dawna and @Lisa. You only got 6? I would’ve thought you’d have gotten more, given the number of f-offs you got from us.
um. i really didnt notice any mistakes in his post and english is my first language… did u guys do wat u did in the illusion and… read it again? JUST TO MAKE SURE he made no mistakes I MEAN we wouldn’t want THAT!!
in other news. LOL only got 3 f’s
those F***KING OF’S!!!
love ya work!
The illusion was pretty good, got 4 then did a slow re-count. Wow some of the comments have had me in stitches.
i found 6 because of the of’s
2 first time, then corrected to 3 before reading the answer. Unlike others I don’t think I have come across that one before which is why it probably worked for me.
Like so many other illusions/magic tricks, be it visual or mental, once you know the answer the whole things becomes obvious.
As for peoples comments about the use of english, personally I think English is a very versatile language and can be bent and twisted in many ways and still make sense to the reader. Clearly the people who read and critisised understood what the sentence was trying to convey, so in many ways the sentence did exactly what it intended – to convey information. Any language that is to rigid and unwilling to adapt will eventually be abandoned in favour of better ones. Flexibility is one of the main reasons English is so popular as an international language.
Anyway I’ve gone off topic a bit and doing my own ramblings :)
Keep up the good work and please don’t leave us illusionless over your summer holidays as you sit by the pool enjoying a drink or two.
I love your site! Great stuff, keep it up :)
Great illusion!
I only got 3 at first.
i found 5 cant find the last one
I once saw a similar one with a phrase containing about 14 f’s. I think we miss “of” because we pronounce it “ov” and hence don’t hear the “f” sound
I got all of them. The trick is not to read the sentence but deal with each word individually.
At first look on IGoogle I saw 6, but then again I had seen a form of this one many years ago and figured it was looking for the f’s. Have a good day all.
Well, it’s not an illusion is it?
It doesn’t even pretend to be an illusion.
Awesome!! I Have a copy of it and test it with my friends!! Most of them didn’t count the f on the “of”
Finished, 1
Files, 2
of, 3
of, 4
Scientific, 5
I agree with dooface, I can only find 5.
Look at the second-last word.
Took me a long time to notice the F in scientific. I found all the others. D’oh!
1)finished
2)files
3)of
4)of
5)scientific
6)of
wow :)
hello friends from Turkey
i like it
argh i always miss the of’s
OMF I DIDNT COUN THE F IN SCIENTIFIC
i counted 5 but i missed “scientific”
First I got 3, then 5, then 6!I didn’t count the ‘of’s’ the first time, then I missed the 2nd ‘of’ but then I realised that I had missed one. Stupid ‘of’s’.
I did get it wrong becuz I missed 2 of the ofs. But I’m not sure how what written above has to do with why I got it wrong. Other than maybe by the time I finished reading it, I was pretty much skimming and not reading every word. I hope that’s what that means becuz Ihaven’t got a clue, if that’s not what it means…lol