In the picture to the right, count the bars from the top and then count them from the bottom. Did you count ten the first time and seven the second time? I love optical illusions such as this one because they force us to acknowledge that the world isn’t always so black-or-white. Often, our starting…

Which square is a darker shade of gray — A or B? If you said A, you’re wrong. They are both the exact same color. (Click here for an explanation). The moral: Unlearning requires recognizing that our perceptions can be easily deceived and that one person’s “shade of gray” might not be different from another’s…

“If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck.” Right? Not so fast. Take a good look at the picture to the right and tell me if you don’t also see a rabbit. Unlearning requires that we embrace ambiguity and let go of dogmatic beliefs.

Can you find the mistake? If not, you might want to consider unlearning the idea that you see the world as clearly as you might otherwise believe.

If your world changed would you recognize it? All of us like to believe we would. Unfortunately, this isn't true … as the older gentlemen in this video demonstrates: I (Note: It was because of such insights that Dan Simons' book, The Invisible Gorilla, made my list of the Top Ten Books on Unlearning for…

Do you see the world clearly? Watch this video and count the number of discrepancies.

By sheer luck, my family and I walked up the steps of the Eiffel Tower on the evening of March 19, 2011 — the night of the “Super Moon.” The view was spectacular as a large red orb arose over the Parisian skyline. If you would have asked me whether the moon was closer to…

The Saint Ignatius church in Rome was originally designed to include a cupola. For financial reasons, the feature was never built. In moment, sparked by Divine intervention perhaps, Church officials hired Andrea Pozzo to paint a fake dome on the ceiling over the altar. Today, more than 300 years later, many visitors are shocked to…

Please solve this problem: Tell me if the following statement is true or false: "This statement is false." If the statement is false, then it is true. If the statement is true, then it is false. The above example is a well-known paradox but I believe one of the things society, parents, teachers, bosses and…

What do you see in the image to the right? If you are like most people you see a square made out of alternating rows of squares and circles. It is slightly more difficult to see the square as columns of alternating squares and circles. It is, of course, just a matter of perspective but…