
Why are transgender people immune to optical illusions? (2017) - apsec112
https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/06/28/why-are-transgender-people-immune-to-optical-illusions/
======
solveit
Jeez, the comments here. I feel compelled to point out that the very first
line of the linked article is

>[Epistemic status: So, so speculative. Don’t take any of this seriously until
it’s replicated and endorsed by other people.]

There's a difference between poorly supported and wrong, and the whole point
of having a blog (as opposed to writing papers) is to throw out half-baked
ideas and observations that _inspire_ rigorous action.

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cpt1138
"Dissociation is a vague psychiatric symptom where you feel like you’re not
real, or the world isn’t real, or you’re detached from the world, or something
like that. It sounds weird, but if you explain it to someone who’s had it,
they’ll say “Oh yeah, that thing!” It’s usually unpleasant, and tends to occur
in PTSD, borderline personality, and extreme stress."

That really spoke to me. I have very bad allergies and as the doctor was
trying things to help me out I spent about 3 months on Singulair. I had severe
disassociation. It was very unpleasant and I stopped it. But yeah, that thing.

~~~
jpttsn
So _that 's_ what that is. Know the feeling.

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stewbrew
"I wanted to replicate this result myself. So a few months ago, when I
surveyed readers of my blog, I included some questions about perceptual
illusions (including a static version of the hollow mask). I got five thousand
responses, including a few from schizophrenic and autistic readers. Sure
enough, the effect was there."

Self-selection, numerous predictors, 5% threshold, no correction for multiple
tests etc.

Edit for the down-voters: these problems turn the whole thing into a useless
exercise. Forget about it.

~~~
LyndsySimon
I disagree - it’s not “a useless exercise”, because it’s not presenting itself
as a rigorous study. It just makes you think there _could_ be something to it.

~~~
stewbrew
It claims to have found an effect not just a correlation in the data. But the
term probably was a little too strong.

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undoware
better question: why do self-described rationalists breathlessly report
anything with the word "transgender" in it while discarding any pretense to
rigour?

No, wait. That headline isn't breathless enough.

Better:

Why are cis people immune to science?

Ah, le môt juste!

\- signed, a trans woman

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Ninjaneered
So, didn't really pay attention to the article, but wow, that spinning mask[0]
in interesting!

Somehow, the effect doesn't work looking at only the forehead[1] which I would
have assumed means because my brain doesn't recognize it as a "face". However,
the effect does work for me still only looking at the neck[2] which I can't
explain other than something with the shading?

Cool stuff!

[0]
[https://i1.wp.com/slatestarcodex.com/blog_images/spinning_ma...](https://i1.wp.com/slatestarcodex.com/blog_images/spinning_mask.gif)

[1]
[https://www.dropbox.com/s/io9nsrpp52waxq5/spinning_mask_uppe...](https://www.dropbox.com/s/io9nsrpp52waxq5/spinning_mask_upper.gif)

[2]
[https://www.dropbox.com/s/te0s3wgf6rilf4a/spinning_mask_lowe...](https://www.dropbox.com/s/te0s3wgf6rilf4a/spinning_mask_lower.gif)

~~~
alephr
the surface normals don't change when the mask rotates from the front to the
back so the lighting appears to "change direction". I think looking at the
edges gives you more cues to see that the mask is rotating vs only having the
reversing lighting cues in the center

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senectus1
lol the first couple of comments on that page say everything needed about this
"study"

> sflicht says: > June 28, 2017 at 10:29 pm ~new~ > So I assume you’ll write
> up your results for publication? It would be a shame if not. I understand
> you’re busy but… science?

> registrationisdumb says: > June 28, 2017 at 10:52 pm ~new~ > None of Scott’s
> surveys are properly randomized trials and draw from a very unique userbase,
> which makes me hesitant that any of them should be published before
> replicated in a proper trial.

