A recent analysis of magic tricks suggests the existence of a perceptual illusion where the space hidden behind an occluding object is experienced as empty in a strangely compelling way. Here, we show that this illusion of absence is not just a trivial consequence of the lack of retinal stimulation but rather the result of an active process of perceptual construction. The results of a simple experiment show that this perceptual illusion of absence can in turn trigger perceptual processes which generate an immediate perceptual impression of levitation via a percept-percept coupling. This suggests that magical illusions of levitation are partially driven by an immediate perceptual impression of floating in thin air. The perceptual mechanisms underlying the illusion of absence are hitherto unknown, but our results provide support for a potential explanation based on the generic view principle.

Recently, a curious illusion of absence has been described, where the space behind an occluder is compellingly experienced as empty. This illusion is similar to illusions based on amodal completion in the sense that it refers to occluded portions of a visual scene and informal observations suggest that it may also be largely impervious to conscious knowledge. The aim of the present experiment was to test the hypothesis that the illusion of absence is cognitively impenetrable in the same way as amodal completion. Participants viewed magic tricks based on amodal completion, the illusion of absence, or attentional and reasoning misdirection and tried to infer the secret behind the tricks after one, two, or three presentations. The results show that the tricks based on the illusion of absence are very difficult to debunk, even after repeated presentations. In this regard, they are similar to tricks based on amodal completion but different from tricks based on attentional and reasoning misdirection. The participants also rated how magical they felt the tricks were. Surprisingly, the magic ratings tended to be quite high even in trials where the participants had already discovered the secret behind the trick. This unexpected finding may be taken to suggest that there may be two magical moments in the lifetime of a magic trick: In addition to the magical experience evoked by trick itself, discovering the secret behind the trick may also evoke an experience of impossibility.

The purpose of the present note is to draw attention to the potential role of a recently discovered visual illusion in creating traffic accidents. The illusion consists in a compelling and immediate experience that the space behind an occluding object in the foreground is empty. Although the illusion refers to a region of space, which is invisible due to occlusion (a blind spot), there is evidence to suggest that it is nevertheless driven by visual mechanisms and that it can be just as deceptive and powerful as ordinary visual illusions. We suggest that this novel illusion can make situations involving blind spots in a road user's field of view even more dangerous than one would expect based on the lack of visibility by itself. This could be because it erroneously makes the road user feel that (s)he has actually seen everything there is to see, and thus has verified that the blind spot is empty. This hypothesis requires further testing before definitive conclusions can be drawn, but we wish to make researchers and authorities involved in the analysis of traffic accidents and on-the-spot crash investigations aware of its potential role in order to encourage registration of relevant data and facilitate further research.

Introduction:According to the 'diffusion of innovations' model, innovations do not spread randomly in a population, but follow specific patterns. Changes in health behaviours tend to start among high status groups. The purpose of the present study is to describe dimensions of coronavirus-related behaviour and their relationship with level of education at a relatively early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: Data collections (internet-based) took place among adults (18+) in two Norwegian counties, Oslo and Vestland, in November and December 2020 (N = 15,071). The response rates were 39.8% (Oslo) and 37.3% (Vestland). Data were analysed with principal components analysis, construction of unweighted meanscores, and generalized linear models. Results: Five behavioural dimensions (two single items out of 23 not included) were identified: Hygiene, Hygiene when hands are dirty, Avoiding meeting others, Keeping distance from others, and Wearing a protective face mask. Analyses with meanscores as outcome variables revealed that only one of the five dimensions, in addition to the single item Stay at home if ill (men only), was positively related to level of education, namely Wearing a protective face mask. There was no significant difference between educational groups with regard to Hygiene when hands are dirty and Keeping distance from others. On Hygiene, Avoiding meeting others (men only), and Avoided public transport (single item) scores were inversely related to level of education. Conclusions: Behavioural precautions to avoid transmission of COVID-19 do not follow the general tendency for positive health behaviours to be most rapidly adopted by well-educated groups. On four of five behavioural components, this association is either close to zero or reversed. In addition to high levels of trust in authorities in Norway, there are characteristics of the COVID-19 health education campaign which might explain why: Continuous and intense mass media coverage, use of multiple communication channels, strength of appeals, and high communicator credibility.