The visitor
stands about three meters away from an orange glow lamp and
gives a "Bronx Cheer*." The visitor sees the light from the
lamp dance around while the cheer is being given. Alternatively,
the visitor can chew or pretend to chew some food, the lamp
will appear to vibrate. Visitors find it intriguing that only
the one who is giving the cheer can see the glow of the lamp
vibrate. Other visitors see no motion of the glow.
The lamp
glow is flashing back and forth from one electrode to another
60 times a second (In Europe this would be 50 times a second).
Giving the Bronx cheer or chewing, vibrates the visitors skull.
When the skull vibrates so do the eyes. This causes the images
of the filaments on the retinas to vibrate. The brain interprets
the vibration as being due to the motion of the lamp, not to
the vibration of the skull. The rapid flashing of the bulb makes
the vibration more obvious.
*To give
a Bronx cheer stick out your tongue, close your lips around
it, and blow producing a vibration and noise.
