An Image in Motion
A bicycle rim can do more than roll!
As the rim spins, an image suddenly appears on the spokes. The exhibit shows how our brains combine rapidly presented individual images into one complete picture.
The Science Behind It
Your eyes retain images for a brief moment, even after they have disappeared. This effect is called “persistence of vision.” As the rim spins, individual points of light or parts of an image appear one after another, each in a slightly different position on the spokes. Your brain combines these rapidly presented images into a continuous picture. Only once the rim reaches a certain speed does the image appear stable and continuous. If it spins too slowly, you see only individual points of light. The same principle is used in film and screen technology: many individual images per second create the impression of smooth motion.
