term for getting sucked into a black hole

Thesmall square surrounded by black seems brighter and closer than when it is surrounded bywhite, but both gray squares are in the same place and are the same color. Nowroll your mouse over the figure and note the “change” in the gray squares.

Note the relativebrightness of the smaller gray squares in the center of the black and white squares. Figure 3shows the effect surrounding color or intensity has on perception. Even when you know the answer, the false perception is overpowering. Again, you probably knowthe answer, but notice again the overwhelming perception that the three long lines are notparallel. Nowlook at Figure 2 and decide which lines, if any, are parallel. Look at Figure 1.Decide which line is longer and then roll your mouse over the figure and see the change.Now you’ve probably seen this a million times before and you know the answer, but payattention to how fooled you brain is by the surroundings of the two vertical lines. It perceives what it “sees” in the setting in which it is viewed.The surrounding objects and colors – or lack of them – will have a big effect on what senseyour brain makes of the electrical impulses sent to it by the retinas. Your eyes simply transmitelectrical pulses and your brain does the work of making sense of those spikes ofelectricity. Your eyes really don’t do the seeing – your brain does. That will give us a basis for a better understanding of theillusions you experience during a black hole approach. You can overcomethese visual traps, however, by simply referring to the flight instruments on the panel.The black hole approach is different in that a glance at the flight instruments won’talways clue you in to the danger.įigure 1: Which line is longer? (Mouse-over to check.)įigure 2: Are lines parallel? (Mouse-over to check.)įigure 3: Which gray square is darker? (Mouse-over to check.)īefore we talk about black hole approaches, let’s explore some of the ways yourperceptions can mislead you. You’re all familiar with the false perceptions youcan fall prey to caused by using a sloping cloud deck for a level horizon and theunsettling ambiguity caused by mistaking sparse ground lights for stars. Night flying has always been moredangerous than daylight flying principally because of the lack of perceptual clues we alldepend on to keep the shiny side up. Over the years, the black hole approach has claimed thelives of many pilots – both novice and experienced. Simply put, a blackhole approach is a long, straight-in approach at night to a brightly lit runway overfeatureless and unlit terrain. What is a black holeapproach and what makes it so dangerous? The term “black hole” refers to theterrain below the approach to the airport, not the airport itself. So, you know that you can’t always trust our perceptions. Anytime you go faster than that or put your eyes higher than eye level above ground you’resubject to misperceptions. You can also manage occasional short bursts of up to 15 mph. This marvelous species you’re so proud to be a part of has evolvedover millions of years as a land-based animal moving at a normal speed of about three tofour miles per hour.

What’s the deal here? Well, it’sall in being human. Great! First you can trust your eyes, then you can’t.

When the view is out the windscreen, however, you cannot always believe yourvisual perceptions. And it’s true – if what you are looking at IS thegauges. Just watch thosegauges and all will be well. Repeatedly, your CFII has pounded into yourhead the premise that you can only believe what your eyes tell you. One of the major tenets of instrument flying is that you cannot rely upon your body -or kinesthetic senses – to keep you upright.

Term for getting sucked into a black hole