Thaumatrope

A thaumatrope (Greek thauma wonder trope turn, so miracles disc ) consists of a cardboard disk with two threads, which are attached to two opposite points on the rim of the disk. By twisting of the filaments and at the ends of the following train, the disc is displaced about the axis of the two threads in rotation. In the eye of the beholder merge the images on the two sides of the rotating disk - an optical illusion.

Frequently represented on the one hand, a cage and on the other side a bird. The optical illusion suggests now that the bird is in the cage. When the two panes of a Thaumatrops have different colors, it is seen in the rotation of the mixed color ( mixed color thaumatropische ).

The thaumatrope was first introduced in 1827 by John Ayrton Paris, his invention, however, the geologist William Henry Fitton attributed ( 1825 ).

But even 15,000 years ago, small stone and bone slices were prepared in which both sides different animal pictures were shown. So shows a 1991 in a cave Isturitz (Pyrénées - Atlantiques) found slate tiles a reindeer, once standing, even sitting. Lets you rotate the disc in the right way, the animal appears to be alternately lie down and stand up.

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Superimposed image