Mind & PerceptionPerception Science

The Rubber Hand Illusion

Your brain can adopt a fake hand in minutes

You always know which hand is yours, right? So how could a paintbrush, a screen and a rubber hand change your brain's mind?

You'll find out

  • How a fake hand gets adopted
  • What breaks the spell
  • What your brain does about a threat

Why it matters

It shows that your sense of your own body is a guess your brain keeps updating, and VR builders use that.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 211 · Zone 24

Play this lesson

Free to play in your browser or on iPhone

More in this zone

  1. 208Digital Audio44,100 Snapshots a SecondDigital audio is a string of measurements, not a wave
  2. 209Internet HistoryWhy Email Uses @The first email's sender picked the one key nobody used
  3. 210AI EthicsThe Biased MirrorAI learns the unfair patterns hidden in its training data
  4. 212Orbital MechanicsSpace JunkOne collision can create thousands of bullets in orbit
  5. 213Image CompressionHow JPEG Shrinks PhotosPhotos shrink by throwing away detail your eyes barely notice
  6. 214TopologyTwo Opposite Places With the Same WeatherRight now two opposite points on Earth share temperature and pressure
  7. 215Web ArchivingThe Internet's AtticHundreds of billions of old web pages are saved in one archive
  8. 216Wireless SecurityThe Evil TwinA fake hotspot can borrow the name of one you trust