The Geometric Pattern of Perception of the Moon

The Geometric Pattern of Perception of the Moonfrom beneath the Legs.

by Parker Emmerson

From Perception of the Environment with Tom Toleno

I. IntroductionPerception would and could only be perceived as the inception and or acceptance of the information provided by theindividual or individuals through any giving persona section of reality. In this paper, I will discuss how Gibson’s theory of theambient optic array, in combination with mathematical inquiry of the experiential phenomenon, will act like a thought experi-ment for understanding the reason behind the illusion that, when you look at the moon through your legs when positioned upsidedown, you will see that it looks smaller than when you see it from a standing position. Specifically, we will attempt to answer thequestion of, "how can perceived change in size, theoretically relating to a change in distance, be accounted for even though thechange in distance does not actually occur"?When people look up in the sky from a standing position, a clear and accessible visual structure presents the opportunityfor relatively accurate depth perception and size discernment. The object being perceived takes the shape of a circle or orb in thesky, which is the moon. However, when the body is turned upside down and the eye strains to move about searching for orfocusing on external stimuli, the visual structure is depleted. It was shown that by G. M. Stratton that, for voluntary eye motions,following a moving object was anything but predicatble. The conclusion from Stratton's experiments pertains to the phenomenonof the moon's looking smaller from upside down beneath the legs, because it shows us that, "reception of visual structures ispossible only for the eye at rest" (The Perceptual World by Wolfgang Metzger 63). We will now use mathematics to describe thevisual structure of the variables relating to depth perception and measurement of the size of a circle or orb.We might then ask, in what way is the perception of the moon in the sky similar to the perception of an image like apainting? 170First, we postulate that :

(1)

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The diagram is not drawn to scale with regard to theta or an actual transformation of this sort. This diagram is a representation of a geometric structure and a system that has complex implications. If an object or wavelength progresses through theheight of the cone, it is said to be traveling through theta in terms of time. However, it should be noted that the circle does nothave to fold all the way up in order for the max height of r to be achieved for variables to maintain their correlation. This is saidto be an

invariance

of the system. The position is also said to have an initial radius of a max of the height of the cone during agiven instance.Gibson uses the word

invariance

slightly differently. He is interested in the invariants in the ambient optic array, and saysthat,"A list of the invariants in an array as the amount of illumination changes, as the type of illumination changes, as thedirection of the prevailing illumination changes, and above all as the point of observation changes cannot yet be drawn up withany assurance. the contours in an array are invariant with most of the changes in illumination. The textures of an array arereliably invariant with change of observation-point,. The property of a contour being closed or unclosed is always invariant. Theform of a closed contour in the array is independent of lighting but highly variant with change of obseration point." Brightnessdepends on the collection, density and flux of energy of light moving in these perceptual structures of the ambient array.The cone is a structure that I propose may be present in every point of the ambient optic array, structuring information inperceptual space, and one that also has specific geometric relations

through

the folding of spacetime. Perceptually, spacetimefolds are a part of what space-time is, and are drawn out by mass. and not a It also acts like an observable metaphor for howdiscernment of the size of a massive orb in space occurs and can change with context.Churchland noted that the first computational problem for the visual system is, "how to get a geometric description - a PrimalSketch - out of the intensity array on the retina" (BRP 221). Intensity is measured by wavelength and frequency of light, which isrelated to saturation and luminence of a pigment or radiating body. The cone model works somewhat before the retina, butpotentially within it. It can help us to see the structuring of light and how it interacts with the structuring of a perceptual reality,because in the normal course of primal sketching, a transformation through time is occuring. This can be accounted for throughtheta if theta is a function of time.The parameters of the system for the purposes of this discussion are:

(2)C

=

2

p

rThis is the circumference of our initial circle of radius rC

2

=

2

p

r

1

This is the circumference of our second circle,the base of the cone, of radius r

1

r^2

=

r

1

^2

+

h^2This is the initial radius squared expressed as the slantof the cone in terms of the height of the cone, h, and the radiusof the base of the cone, r

1

r

=

,H

r

1

^2

+

h^2

L

s

= q

rs

ê

q =

rThe arc length taken out of a circle at a given time is

=

t

=

C

-

C

2

=

2

p

r

-

2

p

r

1

= q

r

Ø

Equation 7r

1

^2

ã

r^2

-

h^2r

1

=

,H

r^2

-

h^2

L

h

§

r

t =

time1 second

=

6 degrees

t =

6

q

I will now do some algebra to conclude what the height of the cone is in terms of the initial parameters. It can eventuallybe reduced to a single variable.II. Proof

2

Perception of the Moon from Beneath the Legs.nb

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Solve

@

r

1

^2

+

h^2

ã

r^2, h

D

(3)

::

h

Ø -

r

2

-

r

12

>

,

:

h

Ø

r

2

-

r

12

>>

We say that the amount of

q

r = s, taken out of the circle is the change in the circle's circumference that is the base of the cone.The change is equal to s = 2

p

r-2

p

r

1

.

Notice that

q =

HH

2

p

r

Lê

r

L

-

HH

2

p

r

1

Lê

r

L

, because we divide by r on both sides.

We will focus on the positive solutions for the height of the cone.

Solve

B

h

==

r

2

-

r

12

, r

1

F

::

r

1

Ø - -

h

2

+

r

2

>

,

:

r

1

Ø -

h

2

+

r

2

>>

This is the change in circumference with the substituted expression for r

1

in terms of h and r.(4)r

q ==

s

ã

2

p

H

r

L

-

2

p

HH

r

L

^2

-

h^2

L

=

2

p

H

r

L

-

2

p

r

1

q ==

H

2

p

r

Lê

r

-

H

2

p

r

1

Lê

r

L

=

HH

2

p

r

Lê

r

L

-

2

p -

h

2

+

r

2

ì

r

Solve

B

q

r

==

2

p

H

r

L

-

2

p

HH

r

L

^2

-

h^2

L

, h

F

::

h

Ø -

4

p

r

2

q-

r

2

q

2

p

>

,

:

h

Ø

4

p

r

2

q-

r

2

q

2

p

>>

We can use this equation in several ways, and its meaning is not constrained to a single contextual interpretation duringthe discernment of depth and size. Although, the mind/brain may access its truth in specific ways when context influences theperception during observations within the ecological surrounding.III. Environmental Context; Ecological OpticsThe context of the station point and the focus of perception of the moon in the sky play a crucial role in theorizing aboutthe validity of a computational approach to aiding an understanding of life-world experience.Ecological optics has its roots in differentiating between, "stimulation by light and the information in light" (BRP 160).The study of the energy of light is in the realm of physical optics, while the light that is informative to the subject about the worldis, "the unfamiliar discipline called ecological optics" (BRP 160).Perception occurs at

h

= r, because we see the moon with radius r first, then when looking beneath our legs upside down,the eye makes syccatic movements, while maintaining a station point of reference at the center of the horizon with respect to thesubject.

H

can be both the radius of the moon, and the distance we are away from the moon at the same time. Thus, when lightenters our eye from the moon, it has traveled a distance

h

, equal to r during the perceived size measurment of the moon' s size.

Perception of the Moon from Beneath the Legs.nb

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