Some of us have jobs in the great outdoors. For all the forest rangers, hiking guides, and horse tamers out there, we salute your vocational choices! When you spend so much time outside, there’s less need to stretch your weary limbs and give your square eyes a rest.
But for all you techie types out there, for anybody and everybody who spends a long time each day staring at a screen, these challenges have your name on them. (Obviously, outdoor folk, you are invited to join in too.) During a break at the office or after you get home from a long day’s work, it’s important to take a little time to nourish, relax, and soothe your brain.
There are numerous different ways to do this. Brainteasers, crosswords, and sudoku certainly have their place. But how do you feel about optical trickery? There’s something particularly good for your brain in recognizing a specific detail within a busy or complicated picture.
Maybe you are already brilliant at this type of challenge, in which case, we dare you to prove it! Solve them quickly. If not, then take your time. But take note; you don’t have forever. Just for fun (sorry!), we’ve imposed a time limit on each puzzle to test your prowess.
Here goes.
1. The face in the pebbles
To locate small details within a bigger picture, it‘s vital to limit sensory input and focus your attention on the task at hand. So, dial your concentration up to the maximum and accept our first challenge; you have just 10 seconds to locate the image within this picture of a pebble beach.2. The figure in the rocks
Here’s challenge number two. It’s a little harder than the first, because where’s the fun in quitting while you’re ahead? Focus your attention on the picture below, detailing a beautiful forest in Langenfeld, Germany, with one shady element.The hidden illusion is the work of German body-painting artist Joerg Duesterwald, and the peaceful scene actually features a carefully painted female model. Can you find her? This time, you have only 15 seconds.
The model is painted with green, gray, and black body paint. Even her hair is painted and camouflaged against the diverse colors of the forest floor. Allegedly, Duesterwald uses sepia tones in his photographs to better disguise his models, and attempts to maintain a constant temperature of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius (50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit) during each shoot (presumably to prevent the paint from melting!).
Spoiler: If you look closely, you can see this model’s lower leg and knee jutting out from the center of the image. Well done if you spotted her in good time! Now that your own brain is adequately soothed, have some fun with these pictures and challenge your friends.
It’s all in the name of a healthy brain.
