There is more to reading an X-ray, or even a photo, than meets the eye – hard-to-spot features of an image can make the difference between life and death. Sally Adee
Read more: “The invisible issue: The world as you don’t see it”
X-rays remove details of tendons, muscles and fat so they can focus doctors’ attention on the most important aspect of the picture: here, the break in the radius.
(Image: Emine Donmaz/Getty Images)
To find signs of asbestosis – pneumonia-like lung damage caused by inhaling asbestos particles – computerised tomography (CT) scans offer a view of the chest that brings hidden plaques into view.
(Image: Garo/Phanie/Rex)
Cross-sectional views of the lungs in high-contrast help make large, white, circular masses, like the one in the lower left corner of the image, stand out against the alveoli
(Image: Trafton Drew, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Visual Attention Lab)
Similarly, the contrast in black-and-white photography can make salient details stand out more sharply. Look at this image and the next one to see how quickly you spot the prices.
(Image: Mildew Design/Rex)
Even when the price signs are fairly small and grainy, they can be found quickly. High contrast is a fundamental principle of attention-grabbing graphic design.
(Image: Buffalo Courier Express/E. H. Butler Library)
Did you spot the gorilla in the X-ray? How about the woman falling to her death? If not, take heart: you are not alone. Only a small percentage of people can outwit their own perceptual flaws. To understand why your brain would keep this information from you, see “Invisible: What your brain refuses to see“.
Journal references: Gorilla in X-ray, Psychological Science, DOI: 10.1177/0956797613479386; falling woman, Current Psychology, DOI: 10.1007/s12144-013-9184-3
