This upside-down picture of ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher looks perfectly normal (left)
but when you rotate the photograph the right way up, the face will appear grotesque (right)
This upside-down photograph of ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher looks perfectly normal.
However, when you rotate the photograph the right way up the face will appear grotesque, thus
proving that 'the lady's not for turning'. The grotesque face is due to the eyes and mouth
being inverted. But why don't you spot this when the photograph is upside down?
There are specific parts of your brain dedicated to face perception. However, because you rarely
encounter upside-down faces, these parts of your brain work best with upright faces. When presented
with an upside-down face, your brain is able to identify the different parts of the face, such as the eyes and
mouth, but unable to perceive the relationship between these parts; hence it doesn't spot the distorted face.
Explanation by RICHARD WISEMAN