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See It to Believe It: Visual Discrimination
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In this activity (12th on the page), learners investigate their ability to discriminate (see) different colors.

Dark Adaptation
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In this activity (6th on the page), learners investigate how photoreceptors in the eye (rods and cones) "adapt" to low light conditions.

The Blind Spot
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In this activity (1st on the page), learners find their blind spot--the area on the retina without receptors that respond to light.

Altered Reality
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In this activity, learners discover that the human brain is highly adaptable. Learners try to toss beanbags at a target while wearing prism goggles.

Penny Cup Game
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In this optics activity, learners conduct an experiment to find out why two eyes are better than one!

Peripheral Vision
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In this optics activity, learners conduct an experiment to explore peripheral vision. Learners collect data about their ability to see shapes, colors, or letters using their peripheral vision.

Lateral Inhibition
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Which one of your eyes are dominant? Do they act independently or are they equally "in control?" This activity explores how your eyes work (or don't work) together.

Three Circles of Pigments
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In this activity, learners overlap the three primary colors to see how all other colors are made.

Color Spy
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In this activity (16th on the page), learners play a variation of the "I Spy" game to explore color. Learners work in teams with each team assigned a color.

Phenakistascope
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In this optics activity, learners build an animation tool to make mini movies. When you spin a phenakistascope, the pictures move so quickly that your eyes and brain can't separate the images.

Afterimage
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In this activity about vision and optical illusions, learners conduct a simple test to demonstrate how our eyes create "afterimages." Learners stare at a black cardboard bat for at least 30 seconds an

Magic Disc
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In this activity, learners create an optical illusion by spinning two attached cups. A round ball seems to magically appear when the cups spin.

Depth Perception
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In this easy demonstration (3rd on the page), learners explore depth perception by conducting a test with two pencils.

Arrows
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In this activity, learners surprise their eyes with an optical illusion involving arrows made out of pipe cleaners.

Seeing in the Dark
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In this activity (17th on the page), learners investigate why you cannot see colors in dim light.

Accommodating Accommodation
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In this demonstration (18th on the page), learners conduct a simple test to explore how the cornea refracts light, which is further bent by the eye lens through a process known as accommodation.

Stroboscope
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In this activity (posted on March 20, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a stroboscope, a device that exploits the persistence of vision to make moving objects appear slow or stationary.

Your Blind Spot
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In this activity, learners will explore how their own eyes work by experimenting with their photoreceptors.

Spinning Cylinder: Make a triangle appear on a spinning wheel
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Spin a short piece of PVC pipe that's been marked up, and watch a triangle appear. Enjoy this optical illusion from the Exploratorium's Science Snack series.

Seeing Is Believing
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This activity is designed to accompany the PBS documentary about African-American chemist "Percy Julian: Forgotten Genius." Learners look through two cups with small holes in them to simulate what it'